2&4 



THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



Pits and Frames. — Auriculas, Car- 

 nations, Picotees, and Pansies in pots to 

 have air frequently, to prevent mildew ; 

 slight frosts will not hurt tliem so much as 

 a confined and damp air ; take off the 

 lights in the morning, and keep them off 

 till the sun is nearly quitting the frames, 

 then shut up, and there will he enough 

 warmth retained to counteract the frost 

 without. In damp, dull weather, tilt the 

 lights only to admit a slight current of 

 air through, and at every opportunity 

 when the weather is genial take the lights 

 off, clear away dead leaves, gently stir the 

 surface of the soil in the pots, and give a 

 little water if needed. 



Auriculas must be kept clean and dry ; 

 any drip from the frames will do incalcul- 

 able mischief; at no time, not even during 

 frost, should the roots be dust dry ; it 

 causes an exhaustion of the plant which 

 will tell seriously on the bloom hereafter. 



Carnations will often be found beset 

 with green-fly during damp warm weather 

 at this time of year ; in which case fumi- 

 gate at once, and again a few days after- 

 wards, and they will probably remain 

 quite clean till they begia to grow again 

 in spring. 



Cucumbers to be kept safe as to bot- 

 tom-heat, or they will begia now to drop 

 their fruit, or to show canker at the collar. 

 Be prompt, therefore, to renew the linings, 

 if needful, where fermenting material is 

 used. Recently collected leaves will with 

 the help of dung once turned yield a very 

 steady heat, and the better in large masses. 



Pines require very careful management 

 now, for we have warm sunshine one day, 

 and perhaps fog and frost the next. There 

 ought to be a command of more heat than 

 is absolutely required, which is easy enough 

 with hot water, but not so easy with fer- 

 menting material, so as to keep the tem- 

 perature of bottom and top pretty uniform, 

 in spite of changes of the weather. As a 

 comparative state of rest will be good for 

 all classes of pine stock now, a bottom- 

 heat of 65° for a mini.num and 70° maxi- 

 mum, top heat of 55° min. and 65° max., 

 will be safest for the plants. Supply 

 water according to the state of the weather ; 

 take advantage of bright open weather to 

 water pretty liberally, raising the heat 

 and giving air at the same time ; and when 

 frost and darkness recur, withhold it as 

 long as will be safe, but not to cause ex- 

 haustion. 



Greenhouse Plants in Flower. — 

 Acacia corymbosa. — This fine species 

 rarely does much good in a common green- 

 house at this time of year ; its leaves are 

 apt to fall prematurely, and though in a 



good compost and well-drained, the plant 

 often has the appearance of being water- 

 logged. The fact is that Acacias, one and 

 all, require a drier atmosphere than it is 

 possible always to accommodate them with. 

 If the house can be kept dry and airy, 

 Acacias will always do better than in a 

 humid atmosphere suitable for most other 

 hard-wooded plants. 



Coronilla glauca is now going out of 

 bloom, but young plants struck early and 

 grown on generously will sometimes bloom 

 profusely at this time of year. The varie- 

 gated-leaved variety of this species is one 

 of the most beautiful of greenhouse 

 shrubs. 



Globulea Mspida. — A low-growing 

 succulent from the Cape, with white 

 flowers. It belongs to the family of the 

 house-leeks, and requires the same treat- 

 ment as the rest of it-* class, very effectual 

 drainage, and a soil composed of equal 

 parts broken bricks, sandy loam, peat, and 

 thoroughly decayed cow-dung. 



Leonitis leonurus. — This plant is much 

 esteemed on the Continent, and is a com- 

 mon inhabitant of the Belgian gardens, in 

 this country it is scarcely known. It is a 

 labiate, producing pretty scarlet blossoms, 

 and grows to a height of three feet. Or- 

 dinary greenhouse treatment. 



Tree Carnations are now coming to 

 perfection for the conservatory, and are 

 among the very best of winter flowers. 

 Many growers entertain a bad opinion of 

 them through having had palmed upon 

 them plants of the florists' class of carna- 

 tions which it was found impossible either 

 to flower well in winter or to grow to a 

 tree-like form. The true kinds are invalu- 

 able, and just the sort of subjects in which 

 an ambitious gardener will desire to excel, 

 for they may be brought to most elegant 

 forms, and their splendid colours and fra- 

 grance are unsurpassed in the whole range 

 of winter flowering plants. To do them 

 justice, begin early in the year to grow the 

 plants slowly in a cold pit with a western 

 exposure, or in an airy greenhouse. When 

 the plants have made a few strong shoots, 

 pinch them back, to promote a bushy habit. 

 Continue to pinch as required, and if any 

 bloom buds appear before the end of Sep- 

 tember or October, pinch them out as soon 

 as seen. After the end of June place the 

 plants in the open air, on a bottom of tiles, 

 stones, or slates. House early in October; 

 keep well aired, and towards the end of the 

 month use a little fire-heat if the weather 

 is frosty. A firm turfy loam with a small 

 proportion of manure is the best soil for 

 them. 



Tropaolum Lobbianum is a magnificent 



