522 THE GARDENER. [Nov. 



we place them in an ordinary frame on a dry site, and here they are 

 treated to all the air going in all weather, the lights only being used 

 for the purpose of keeping oil* heavy rains. As they are rapid rooters 

 the pots soon fill with roots, and care is taken to prevent them flagging 

 for want of water ; otherwise they are kept as dry as possible, and this 

 tends to make them free-flowering. In ordinary mild winters they will 

 bloom in the frames, and in any case are sure to do so very early in 

 spring. To have Forget-me-nots all winter is, however, the easiest 

 task imaginable, and all that is wanted in the way of forcing is to 

 bring in a few pots at a time into any house kept at greenhouse tem- 

 perature, when they will throw up their trusses in a week or two, and 

 continue blooming for a long time. 



Few flowers are more appreciated ; and if once it is grown in winter 

 as described, it will be in demand ever after. For those with little 

 means of producing flowers in winter this is an invaluable plant. 



Gardener. 



LOBELIA CARDINALIS. 



There are now many varieties of Lobelia all more or less attractive, 

 some for their neat habit of growth, others for their fine telling colours, 

 while in many instances there is a pleasing combination of both, which 

 makes the Lobelia a general favourite. The variety specially under our 

 notice at present is Lobelia cardinalis, var. Victoria, a tall erect-grow- 

 ing variety of neat -branching habit, something in the style of a 

 branched chandelier. It grows from 3 to 4 feet high, with large bright- 

 scarlet blooms, which are produced in great profusion. The terminal 

 shoot, blooming first, generally puts out a lateral shoot immediately 

 under the bloom-spike, which is tied to the stake (of which we only 

 use one) and is thus ready to bloom along with the branches. When 

 in full bloom these, with their dark-crimson foliage and scarlet blooms 

 are very telling subjects in a general collection of plants, judiciously 

 arranged. They like a rich compost and occasional feeding with liquid 

 manure. Their propagation is easily effected by off-sets, which they 

 throw up in quantities, often carpeting the surface of the pot, and also 

 by cuttings, which strike freely in a compost of equal parts, sand and 

 leaf-mould, placed in heat and kept regularly moist. We have tried 

 them in the flower-garden, and for centre-pieces, cross-bars, and such 

 like, and think they will soon out-rival the almost indispensable Irisine 

 Lindenii and DelFs Beet — the former of which has been very patchy 

 this season, and the latter, as far as we have seen, very coarse and 

 badly coloured. J. Proctor. 



The Priory Gardens, St Andrews, Fife. 



