THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



131 



as the least check now will cause the fall 

 of leaves. Plants out of bloom to be set 

 out of doors in the full sun, but not to be 

 cut in for at least a fortnight. This ex- 

 posure of the plants in their complete state 

 is one of the most important points in their 

 culture; on it depends the ripening of the 

 wood, and the health and beauty of the 

 plants hereafter. When they are cut 

 back, remove them from a sunny to a shady 

 position, and encourage them to break 

 quickly by frequent syringing, but the 

 roots are to be nearly dry. 



Soft-ivooded Plants, such as cinera- 

 rias, herbaceous calceolarias, Chinese pri- 

 mulas, pansies, pyrethrums, etc., should be 

 raised from seed now in quantity. If pri- 

 mulas were sown in April for early bloom, 

 it will be as well to sow again for a suc- 

 cessional batch. Remember that to grow 

 bad seed is just as much trouble as the 

 best, so that the question of Cost of seed 

 should not be considered too closely. Pro- 

 cure the best that can be had from houses 

 known to be above the shabby pi-actice of 

 mixing or misdescribing, and grow them in 

 a good compost from the first. Soft-wooded 

 plants rarely do any good if grown slowly ; 

 they need abundant nourishment, and if 

 kept stout and strong rarely suffer from 

 vermin. It is the bad practice of starving 

 seedlings in the seed-pans that creates the 

 principal trouble of getting them clean 

 afterwards. 



Orchid House. — Most of the Indian 

 species will now require an abundance of 

 water, and a moist atmosphere. It is their 

 heyday, and if they do not thrive now they 

 never will. Stanhopeas, Dendrobiums, 

 Aerides, Saccolabiums, and Vandas are 

 now especially thirsty, and their wants 

 must be supplied by dipping and syringing. 



Stove. — Take cuttings of Euphorbias, 

 and let them dry before inserting in sand. 

 Start another batch of Gesneras. Remove 

 to a cooler atmosphere most of the best 

 subjects that are now in flower. Keep a 

 moist atmosphere among soft-wooded plants 

 of all kinds, and especially begonias and 

 caladiuxs ; in fact, water must be used in 

 abundance about floors and walls. 



Pits and Frames. — Cucumbers require 

 an abundance of water, both over the 

 foliage and at the root. Put a few cans of 

 water in the pit or in a warm house early 

 in the day, to have it warm and soft for 

 use in the afternoon, then use it and shut 

 up, and if the beds are extra warm, give a 

 little air an hour afterwards. 



Melons need no shade if the hillocks 

 are of good sound turfy loam, and the 

 plants have water when shut up at night. 

 We never knew scorching to happen except 



through mismanagement. The general 

 causes of ill-health, are watering with cold 

 hard water, planting in rich light soil, or 

 keeping them too dry while growing. To 

 ripen the fruit dryness is essential, but 

 while the plants are growing they require 

 plenty of water, warmed by being put in 

 the house every morning for use in the 

 evening, and the soil to fill in with as the 

 hillocks are occupied with roots should be 

 tough turfy loam ; even clay is preferable 

 to mixtures containing leaf and manure. 



Pines must have atmospheric moisture 

 to prevent exhaustion by this hot bright 

 weather. Shut up early and syringe, and 

 water the floor of the house early every 

 morning. Give a little air at night about 

 two hours after shutting up to water. Use 

 as little shade as possible to fruiting plants. 

 The temperature may go up to 95 * for a 

 maximum. 



Greenhouse Plants in Flower. — 

 Abelia Jloribunda, a nearly hardy capri- 

 foliaceous shrub, with rosy-purple blooms. 

 It is worth adding to any collection, and 

 will grow in any good turfy soil, 



Adenandra fragrans, a useful Cape 

 ruewort, with pink blossoms and a neat 

 shrubby habit, requiring turfy peat and an 

 intermediate house all winter. 



Adenandra uniflora and amcena.— 

 These useful show subjects are now at their 

 best, and very ornamental. They require 

 no peculiar management beyond good 

 greenhouse treatment, the soil to be turfy 

 [ loam one-third, and good tough peat two- 

 thirds. To get up good specimens, cuttings 

 should be struck now, so as to insure a 

 free growth during the remainder of the 

 season. Uniflora has pink blossoms, amaena 

 red : both appropriately named. They are 

 rueworts from the Cape. 



Anihyllis tragacanthoides. — A papi- 

 lionaceous plant, closely allied to the tre- 

 foils, of which there are several species 

 now in bloom. They are not of great 

 value, and one or two will be sufficient in 

 any general collection. Soil, light loam, 

 and a little peat, the pots well drained, and 

 the position airy. 



Aphelexis humilis, macranlha, and pur- 

 purea. — These are three of the best of the 

 genus, and will pay for good culture, as 

 they are good growers, and when in bloom 

 last a long time — so long, indeed, that, 

 like azaleas, people are apt to get tired of 

 them. The soil for all these plants should 

 be sandy loam, turfy peat, and old dung, 

 equal parts. Iu getting up specimens, 

 success will mainly depend on judicious 

 and regular stopping, so as to induce an 

 abundant growth of side-shoots, and a 

 bushy habit. 



G 2 



