THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



41 



chief tiling is to observe regularity in 

 attending to window plant3. It is the 

 doing too much to-day and forgetting 

 them to-morrow that kills most of the 

 plants that are taken into rooms. Let it 

 he remembered that the camellia likes a 

 moist atmosphere, and that the air of 

 dwelling rooms is generally dry, and it 

 will be seen how important it is that the 

 leaves should be sponged frequently to 

 keep them clean, and to benefit the plain 

 by the moisture the leaves will absorb 

 during the process. Camellias ought 

 never to be dry at the root, and especially 

 at this time of the year. Drought does 

 not hurt them so much in summer as in 

 winter, and the cultivator of camellias 

 should endeavour to keep the roots al- 

 ways moist, but not wet, and with no 

 stagnant water under the pots. Treated 

 according to these rules, the plants will 

 flower well, and then they begin to 

 grow. The growing season is the criti- 

 cal time for camellias, because then they 

 require an atmosphere extra moist, still, 

 and warm ; and if they can be placed 

 in a warm pit or shady greenhouse to 

 make their new growth, it will be the 

 better for them. Supposing that cannot 

 be done, we should advise the cultivator 

 to remove all the blooms as soon as the 

 new shoots have a start. To dew the 

 plants twice a day, by drawing the hand 

 over a wet brush held close beside them. 

 To water the roots regularly, as before 

 advised, but to use no stimulants. To nip 

 out the top bud of every shoot, and 

 allow all other buds to grow as they 

 please. To keep the plants in full day- 

 light, but not to place them in the sun. 

 To give them very little air. Not to 

 sponge the new leaves till they are quite 

 firm in texture. To cut away any ugly 

 shoot which may have been preserved 

 hitherto because it had flower-buds on 

 it. To scrape away a little of the top 

 soil, without hurting the roots, and re- 

 place it with a mixture of half leaf- 

 mould and half dung, rotted to pow- 

 der. With this treatment the plants 

 will in due time cease to grow, and at the 

 termination of every new shoot there 

 will be a flower-bud formed. As soon as 

 this terminal bud is visible, begin to give 

 the plants air by degrees, and let them 

 feel the sun morning and evening. 

 Cease to dew the foliage, and give less 

 water, but do not let them go quite dry at 

 ike roots. After a fortnight of this 

 treatment, place fhem out of doors in a 

 warm, sheltered, and rather shady place ; 

 and all the attention they will want till 

 October following will be to water them 



regularly. A little sun will do them 

 good, but to be exposed to the full sun in 

 the height of summer will be hurtful. 

 These plants grow naturally in damp 

 shady woods, and thus they require less 

 light than many other equally showy 

 subjects, and that is the reason they do 

 so well in old-fashioned greenhouses 

 which have high walls and heavy roofs. 

 The object of nipping out the top bud is 

 to keep the plants dwarf and bushy ; if 

 the top buds are allowed to grow, the 

 plants become in a few years very 

 leggy and unsightly. Your Lapageria 

 will not be much hurt by the frost. The 

 best of all contrivances for small green- 

 houses, where there is no proper heating 

 apparatus, is Joyce's patent stove, sold by 

 Swan Nash, 119, Newgate Street, and 

 253, Oxford Street. Ferns would suc- 

 ceed in your shady spot if sprinkled 

 with water every day from April to 

 July, after that they would do without it. 

 The following are useful for shady places 

 — Periwinkles, six or more kinds ; ivy, 

 over fifty kinds ; butcher's broom, hardy 

 primulas, common box, green holly, 

 Solomon's seal, etc. See page 66 of last 

 year's volume. Start gloxinias and 

 achimenes at once.] 



ASPLENIUM BULBIFEKUM.— Rev. H. B. 



We never reply to queries through the 

 post unless there are special and peculiar 

 reasons for so doing. The fern named 

 above, like most other evergreen ferns, 

 is always growing, and should be al- 

 lowed to grow, but, of course, it grows 

 slowly in winter, and does not then need 

 much water. It is one of our favourites, 

 and we find it as easy to manage as a 

 common polypody. Greenhouse tempera- 

 ture certainly suits it best, it is in fact 

 nearly hard}'. Some time in March or 

 April is the best season for repotting, the 

 soilto be equal parts of tough peat chopped 

 up to the size of walnuts, and silky, yellow 

 loam. If the loam is rather stiff add a 

 fifth part of sand to the whole mixture. 

 In reporting turn out the ball, remove 

 the crocks, loosen the outside roots, and 

 remove as much of the old soil as can be 

 got away without seriously distressing 

 the plant, and repot in one size larger, 

 and pot firm, taking care to press in the 

 nodules of peat all round with as much 

 pressure as the thumbs are capable of. 

 If the plant is placed on a gentle bot- 

 tom heat after potting, it will quickly 

 make new roots, and grow vigorously, 

 but it will do very well wiihout bottom- 

 heat. It is fond of water, and must 

 have abundance all the summer, both at 

 the root and overhead ; but as it does not 



