80 



THE CALCEOLARIA. 



as to display the bloom to advantage, without 

 being crowded or too far apart. Fourthly, 

 that the" flowers should be smooth and full, 

 like a small distended bladder, not flattened, 

 nor indented like a melon, perfectly round in 

 the outline, whichever way it is viewed. 

 Fifthly, that the colors should be bright or 

 dense, which gives richness; that any marks 

 or blotches should be well defined, and the 

 ground color as good at the back as the front. 

 Sixthly, that so far as is consistent with these 

 points, the largest flowers should be chosen. 

 But with regard to the roundness and freedom 

 from indenture, so large a majority of the 

 present varieties are deficient in these re- 

 spects, that all we can do is to pick those 

 which are the most round and least indented, 

 and be satisfied with those that are the near- 

 est to the standard we require. This selec- 

 tion should be made without regard to names 

 or price, for, like the varieties of many other 

 subjects, the dearest are not by any means al- 

 ways the best. If, however, we desire plants 

 before they bloom, the onl}^ points we can 

 choose are those which relate to the habit of 

 the plant, which, if handsome when small will 

 rarely grow worse as it increases in size. We 

 may consult the last published authority for 

 the best names, or take the recommendation 

 of a respectable florist, (and we ought never 

 to deal with any other,) for the number we 

 require, first letting him perfectly understand 

 the points we wish to secure. Nor must we 

 be disappointed if the collection contain some 

 which approach our standard at a very hum- 

 ble distance. The Garden Almanac for 1847 

 gives us a list of the best new ones : — Mas- 

 terpiece, Puissant, Julia, Emperor, Oscar, 

 Lord Hardinge, Marmion, Marquetry, Match- 

 less, Orlando, and Plant's Carnation stripes, 

 and there is no doubt they are the best exhi- 

 bited ; but some of them are mentioned for 

 their color, some for their habits, some for 

 their form, and some for their novelty. There 

 are older ones which equal them, such as the 

 Mr. Kinghorn's best half dozen, and Mr. 

 Standish's best three or four, which may be 

 had, as well by that distinction, as by their 

 names. These plants, obtained early in the 

 spring, will be best retained in their pots un- 

 til their fibres reach the side ; or if, on exam- 

 ining them, their balls are at all full of roots, 

 they should be at once sifted. 



Repotting or Shifting. — Procure pots 



one or two sizes larger than those the plants 

 are in ; for instance, if they are in the pots 

 called large sixties, they maybe shifted either 

 to the size called forty-eights, or the next 

 size, called thirty-twos. We, for the sake of 

 their taking less room, prefer only one size 

 larger, and should use forty-eights. Give the 

 new pots some broken potsherds or crocks at 

 the bottom, say an inch or inch and a half 

 deep ; then put enough compost in the pot to 

 bring the ball even with the top of the pot 

 without pressing. If the roots have grown 

 about the crocks in the original pot, do not 

 disturb them to hurt the roots ; but when the 

 ball is turned out, rub off the soil from the 

 top surface a little, but not enough to disturb 

 the fibres ; then set it in the centre of the pot 

 into which it is to be placed, press it down a 

 little into the soil already there, so that the 

 collar of the plant is just below the level of 

 the top edge of the pot ; with the hand fill up 

 the vacancy all round, shaking it gently down 

 by knocking the bottom of the pot down on 

 the potting table or bench, and, if necessary, 

 gently pressing it down at the sides, by a piece 

 of stick of a proper thickness, not to touch the 

 fibres which are round the outside of the ball; 

 then, placing a little of the compost on the 

 top, which should be about as high as the 

 edge of the pot, finishes the operation. 



The plant should be placed in a cold pit, or 

 even a common garden frame, on a dry bot- 

 tom, impervious to wet, so that the water that 

 runs through the pots will not soak into the 

 ground, but run off altogether; and they 

 should be covered with the lights close for 

 two or three days, being first watered gently, 

 but thoroughly, to settle the earth to the 

 roots. If the frame be like those for the cul- 

 ture of ordinary melons and cucumbers, only 

 one board thick, it will be as well to heap up 

 earth all round, like a bank, providing, how- 

 ever, by some means, for the running ofi" of 

 the superabundant water ; and the greatest 

 care must be taken to cover them from frost 

 and cold winds, with matting or transparent 

 cloths ; for the plant, though half-hardy, will 

 be easily damaged with frost, if in a growing 

 state, and cannot be too carefully guarded 

 against it, although it requires no heat. Ma- 

 ny who have a green-house, place them on 

 some of the shelves, in preference to growing 

 them in pits ; but, where there is so much 

 space, there is more danger of frost, unless 



