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CULTURE OF CINERARIAS AND NEW VARIETIES. 



vated here. The improvements effected are 

 plainly shown in the reduction in the size 

 of the foliage, a more abundant show of 

 bloom, with strong, erect and branching 

 flower stems, finer formed truss, broader 

 and better formed petal, smaller disc, colour 

 and markings pure, and more distinct, with 

 increased size of the flower, which, to- 

 gether with their many shades and variety 

 of colours, make them worthy of a place in 

 the most select collection of plants. 



In England, the Cineraria is a universal 

 favorite; and lately a good deal of attention 

 has been paid to the raising of new varie- 

 ties by hybridizing, and many new ones 

 now make their appearance every season, — 

 each exhibiting points of improvement, either 

 in colour, form or marking, and we find five 

 shillings a common price ; and several are 

 now advertised to be sent out the coming 

 season at half a guinea each. They now 

 occupy a prominent place at all the flori- 

 cultural exhibitions, and deservedly so; for 

 there are few plants of so easy culture, pos- 

 sessing such a variety and brilliancy of 

 colours, and such profusion of bloom. For 

 decorating purposes in the green-house, or 

 for the parlor window, it is one of the most 

 useful plants we have. They may be had 

 in flower through all the winter months. 

 By proper management, a succession of 

 bloom may be kept up from December until 

 June, and with very little trouble. 



But it would seem, from the miserable 

 and neglected appearance of the specimens 

 we generally meet with, that little interest 

 is taken in their culture, and that the Cine- 

 raria has but few admirers among us ; but 

 now they have been so much improved in 

 every point, and so many really fine varie- 

 ties introduced, we hope soon to see them 

 as generally and as well grown as the Ge- 

 ranium and Fuchsia, especially as their 

 culture is so simple. 



After the plants have done blooming, re- 

 move them to a shady place, giving them 

 just water enough to keep them alive. In 

 the early part of August I repot them, to 

 start the young offsets into growth, from 

 which the stock for the coming season is to 

 be raised, shaking all the old soil from the 

 roots. Pot them in a light rich soil and 

 place them in a frame, keeping them rather 

 close and warm until they begin to grow, 

 which they will soon do, when the young 

 shoots should be carefully divided and pot- 

 ted into small sized pots, and again re- 

 moved to a frame, and kept close and 

 shaded until they are well established, 

 when they will require plenty of air, and to 

 be kept close to the glass, — shifting into 

 larger pots as they require it. When fine 

 specimen plants are desired, a little more 

 than ordinary care and attention will be 

 necessary ; and for this purpose the strong- 

 est and best plants should be selected from 

 the young stock, and a strong, luxuriant 

 growth should be encouraged as much as 

 possible, giving them plenty of pot room, 

 and good drainage, being careful to repot 

 them the moment they have filled their 

 pots with roots ; for if they once become 

 pot bound, their growth will be checked, 

 and they will commence to develop their 

 flower stems before they have attained any 

 size. Some care is also necessary in wa- 

 tering ; they should never be allowed to 

 flag for want of water; it'causes the loss of 

 a great part of the foliage, and consequently 

 ruins the blooming ; the flowers will open 

 unequally, the flower stems will also be 

 weak and unequal, and the whole plant 

 without that symmetry and form which 

 would be exhibited under good treatment. 

 There is another very important thing to be 

 attended to, which is, that the plants be 

 kept perfectly free from green fly; an in- 

 sect to which they are very subject, and 



