IIG THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



appearing plentifully in places where it was planted out the previous year 

 from self-sown seeds. But in mild winters the roots also survive and 

 throw up shoots in spring. The best way to grow musk is as a frame 

 plant. The soil should be light and rich, and the pots in which the 

 plants have grown should be put aside, so as to be safe from frost, and 

 kept moist till next spring. Then as soon as they begin to sprout, divide 

 them and pot separate small pieces in fresh soil, in small pots, and place 

 on a gentle bottom-heat, or in a warm corner of the greenhouse. They 

 will soon fill the pots with roots, and must never be shifted. By liberal 

 culture musk may be grown to a height of three or four feet, and be one 

 mass of bloom the whole season. It maj' be trained upright by means of 

 a few light stakes put round the pot, and connected with strands of bass 

 all round, or if planted in a basket, may be allowed to hang down in fes- 

 toons. The great secret of growing fine specimens is to use a rich soil, 

 shade moderately, and give abundance of water. 



CiTiTTJUE OF Greenhouse Species and Yaeieties. — They may all be 

 treated as annuals if sown early on a moderate hot-bed, and as soon as up 

 pricked out in rich light soil, and grown on in good greenhouse tempera- 

 ture. For a good bloom the same season, the latest time for sowing is the 

 last week in February. As soon as the seedlings have made a good start 

 after being potted singly in thumbs, give them rather more water than 

 would be safe to the generality of plants in so young a state, and shift on 

 as fast as they fill the pots with roots. When they are in 48-sized pots, 

 place a saucer under each, and let that saucer be always full of water. 

 They will drink it up and thirst for more, and grow with great luxuriance 

 and make fine flowers. They will need shading when in bloom, and plenty 

 of air, in fact, they may be treated nearly the same as herbaceous calceo- 

 larias from first to last, but must have more water. As the stems are very 

 soft, and the flowers heavy, they must be neatly staked before they get 

 imtidy. As it is advisable to render the supports as nearly as possible in- 

 visible, neat jiainted sticks should be used. We have been accustomed to 

 use lengths of No. 1 iron wire, painted a light green, for this purpose, and 

 foiind them preferable to wood. When the plants are in bloom, any of 

 superior excellence should be marked with tallies to propagate from. 

 During August and September, take cuttings of three joints each, place 

 half a dozen of these round a 48 pot in a compost of half leaf-mould and 

 half loam, with an addition of silver sand, sufficient to render the mix- 

 ture light and friable. Plunge these pots in a gentle heat and keep close 

 till rooted, which will be in about fifteen days, then pot singly in 60-sized 

 pots, and in these pots winter them. When grown in quantity they are 

 usually wintered in the cutting pots, and have a shift at the end of Feb- 

 ruary or early in March, into 32-sized pots well drained and filled with a 

 mixture of leaf-mould, turfy loam, and rotten dung equal parts. At the 

 end of April or early in May these may be again shifted in pots of 12-size, 

 in which to bloom. They will requii-e abundance of water, and may have 

 saucers to keep the roots constantly in action. Any required extra fine 

 for exhibition, should have liquid manure once a week, but without this 

 help the plants will flower finely if grown as otherwise directed. Of course 

 the cultivator may shift on seedlings to the same size pots as plants from 

 cuttings, but generally it is best to flower seedlings in 48-size, and grow 

 into specimens only selected varieties known to be worth extra 

 culture. 



