THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEJ^- GUIDE. 237 



and larger pots, it will be sure to suffer injury at each shift by having 

 its roots wounded. The roots are brittle, and as they always run down 

 among the crocks the plant cannot well be shifted with safety after it has 

 attained to any considerable size. Therefore we begin with seeds in 

 60-sized pots, and from these make one shift to 48's, or put them direct 

 from the 60's to their blooming pots, or plant them in a border. 



The best season to sow the seeds for those having command of all 

 needful appliances is the month of January, which gives the cultivator a 

 long season to grow a fine specimen for blooming the next year. Those 

 who cannot command heat to start the seed and to grow the plants on 

 until the season is sufficiently advanced to allow of hardy treatment had 

 best not sow till April, when the seed having been steeped twenty-four 

 hours may be sown in pots, and the pots shut up close in a frame fully 

 exposed to the sun. When the seedlings are up they must be kept 

 growing by generous treatment, and as soon as they have advanced some- 

 what beyond the seed leaves they must be syringed on fine mornings 

 regularly, and have as much air as can be allowed with safety. As soon 

 as they have filled their pots with roots shift to the next size, or put in 

 blooming pots at once. 



Sicmmer Culture. — Suppose a fine specimen is required, then we 

 should use a pot not less than fifteen inches diameter, and prepare it by 

 arranging the drainage with the greatest care three inches deep. The 

 best soil for the purpose is a mixture of turfy yellow loam three parts, 

 turfy peat two parts, silver sand one part, and broken charcoal one part. 

 This well chopped over will be a light but nourishing material, and it will 

 never be retentive of moisture. If the loam is of that soft texture called 

 by gardeners" silky," and contains plenty of fibre, four parts of the loam 

 may be used, and the peat may be dispensed with. The best place for 

 the pot is in a cool conservatory border, or a border under a wall facing 

 south-east. When we say " in" the border, we mean that the pot should 

 be plunged, with some large hollow tiles underneath it to prevent lodge- 

 ment of vv^ater. Or the plant may be planted in the border, in which 

 case it must be of a similar soil to that recommended for pot culture, and 

 be thoroughly well drained, for anything approaching to stagnant damp 

 is death to the Cliantlms. If the specimen is to be flowered in a pot, 

 place the pot so that it will be sunk in the soil of the border two-thirds 

 of its depth, then fill in the soil and press firm to within a sufficient 

 distance of the rim of the pot to leave room for the ball of roots. Turn 

 the plant up and transfer carefully to the large pot, fill in firmly roimd 

 the ball, and give good watering. As soon as by its new growth it 

 becomes evident it has " taken hold" of the soil in the pot, give air fre- 

 quently, and during the height of summer have air on night and day. 

 Train the growth right and left on a flat trellis a foot and a half from the 

 glass, syringe frequently, and when the plant has made some progress 

 give it weak manure water once a week till the end of September, and 

 then cease ; and after that date reduce the supplies of water, so as to get 

 the roots comparatively dry. The season is now ended, the plant will 

 grow no more, and we enter upon the 



JVinter Culture — the principal point in which is to guard against 

 damp.. As soon as the plant is fairly at rest cut back the growth mode- 

 rately, so as to have if possible all the rods of equ;l length, but do not 

 cut-severely. This process will help to ripen the wood. Turther help 



