312 THE FLORIST. 



]\Iy cuttings I put into a bed in the open border, attending to them 

 well with water in the absence of rain. I shade until I see that they 

 can bear sunshine without flagging ; after that all the attention they 

 require until potting time is to keep them clear of weeds, and have 

 the soil stirred up occasionally. 



I never use a hand glass in striking. The soil I find they luxuriate 

 in is the top spit of a meadow, full of fibre, laid up in a heap for a 

 considerable time, and well chopped over. To five parts of this I put 

 one part leaf-mould, and one part well rotted cow-dung, adding a liitle 

 sand to keep it open. 



About the end of September I pot into 4-inch pots, putting plenty of 

 crocks at the bottom of each pot for drainage. 1 then place them in a 

 cold frame facing south, well up to the glass. When properly estabhshed 

 in their pots, I give all the air possible, taking off the lights entirely in 

 fine weather. In this manner I keep them over the winter, the only 

 attention they require being to water well when dry (of course choosing 

 moderately fine days for so doing), to throw a mat over the fi'ame in 

 severe fi-osts, and to give all the air possible in fine weather. 



About the beginning of February I repot into 8-inch pots, without 

 shaking the soil fi'om their roots, but taking care to remove the surface 

 and what has been next the pot. I again put in plenty of crocks for 

 drainage, and use the same soil as previously, which has been well 

 turned over and exposed to frost during winter. After repotting I place 

 them again in the frame, close up to the glass, and keep turning them 

 round at intervals, so that the plants grow dwarf and equal, always 

 remembering to give air en all possible occasions ; in fine weather I 

 remove the sashes entirely during the height of the day. 



Those plants I wish to grow as specimens I tie out the side shoots to 

 the sides, to pieces of wire mth loops made by twisting them about 

 two inches apart. These I fix underneath the rims of the pots. From 

 plants from which I wish to take blooms for exhibition I remove most 

 of the side shoots ; some of them I grow to a single stem, some to two 

 stems, but never more than three, according to the strength and nature 

 of the plant. By the middle of April they become good plants, and 

 many of them begin to show flowers. These I pick off until about three 

 weeks before exhibition day, thereby throwing all growth into the plant. 

 I now supply them liberally with well diluted liquid mmure. I prefer 

 sheep and cow-dung in the proportion of one peck of each to twenty- 

 five gallons of water. This has the effect of increasing the size and 

 brilhancy of the blooms. 



As the bboms intended for exhibition begin to open, I draw a thin 

 cahco blind Over the sashes during sunshine, and remove it immediately 

 the sun is off". Pansy plants are very liable to become dra\^^l if shaded 

 for any length of time, therefore that must be avoided as far as 

 possible. There is no occasion for any more shading than merely to 

 keep sunshine from the blooms intended for exhibition. 



If any blooms arrive at full perfection within three days of exhibition 

 day, I take them off and keep them in water, taking care to change it 

 frequently, and to shelter from dust, &c. I find they can be preserved 

 in that manner in better condition than by being allowed to remain on 

 the plant. 



