Ciilceolarias, pcraninms, and cinncrarias slioiild have their flowiT-stems securod to stakes, 

 th»'St' supiKirts .should he ki'jtt as iiiiioh coiiceah'd as possible; they cannot he disjiensed with 

 under present modes of eulture, hut it is a mistake to supjjose that their tasteful arrange- 

 ment is more meritorious than kee])ing a plant in >,'ood health. 



Ciiinese i>riinros<'s are indisjiensahle winter flowers; select a few of tlie best for seeding, 

 and ))iiKdi out all tlie flowers for the present, that tliey may bloom stronger when wanted. 



rierodendrons and fuchsias may now ho brought out of their winter quarters, ])runo 

 closely, and sliake away all tlio soil from tlieir roots, repot in small-sized ])ots, and water 

 spariiiijly until they root afresh. Of course, tliis (h)es not ai)i>ly to young fuclisias which 

 have been kept growing all winter; tliese should be repotted as they require it, and trained 

 into a i)yra)nidal form l)y frequent pinchings of the points ; some varieties assume a pretty 

 form without this assistance. 



Ixoras, stephanotis, eschyiianthus, ardisia, begonias, pleromas, marantas, justicias, centra- 

 denias, francisceas, euphorbias, clerodendrons, eyrtoceras, and many otliers, usually termed 

 botliouse plants, succeed as well, and, iu many cases, much better under greenhouse treat- 

 ment. Even orchids, so much dreadeil by amateurs, liave been produced in tlie best per- 

 fection without a stove hc<it. They are (easier to manage than hard-wooded greenhouse plants. 

 It is worthy of remark that, in j)roportiou as tlie cultivator becomes conversant with the 

 physiology of vegetation, he becomes more liberal in his views ; less particular about kee))- 

 ina; iij) a certain temperature at all hours; not so fastidious about mixing homoeopatbical 

 portions of soils and manures; in short, lie studies Nature more, and systems less. 



Achemenes tubers should now be planted ; i)lace them near the surface of the soil, and 

 in the warmest part of the house. Gesnera zebrina, than which there is not a more beauti- 

 ful plant, should be similarly treated. Gloxinia tubers, planted in small-sized pots, barely 

 admitting the roots, and seed sown for plants to flower in autumn. Orange and lemon-trees, 

 that have been kept dry and domiant all winter, may now be r(!potted ; do not give them 

 much water at tlie root, but wash the leaves and bark, and syringe them often to encourage 

 shoots from the old stems ; they are generally unh(!altliy, leggy, unsightly looking objects, 

 although easily kept in beautiful condition. Pysidium cattleyanum (the guava) is not so 

 plentiful as it should be ; it is a beautiful evergreen, fruit-bearing, greenhouse plant. 



Very little artificial heat will now be requisite ; be cautious in giving air in cold windy 

 weather ; rather allow the temperature to rise to 85 or 90 degrees during the heat of the day. 

 Use the syringe freely in the early portion of the day over every part of the house, and on 

 plants not in flower, and have no fear of the sun burning the leaves while the latter are 

 wet. Burning proceeds from bad glass, combined with aridity in the atmosphere. IMck off 

 all dead and decaying leaves, or withered flowers, and arrange the plants in groups, keeping 

 those in flower on the lower shelves, with irregular masses of varied foliaged jjlants for a 

 background. Nothing can be more monotonous than an even surface of plants, all seen at 

 the fii-st glance. It requires as much taste to arrange a greenhouse as to plant a lawn. 



Flower Gakdex. — An estimate should be made of the quantity of plants likely to be 

 needed for the flower-beds, and all deficiencies met by propagation. Of late years, the pre- 

 vailing style of decorating flower-gardens has been in grouping beds of different colors, each 

 bed being filled with one kind of plant. In small geometrical gardens this looks very well, 

 if skilfully done; the plants best adapted to this style are those of compact habit, and free 

 flowering properties ; permanence of flower is a further requisite, colors brilliant, and the 

 plant easily propagated. Geraniums, lantanas, verbenas, vincas, galardias, petunias, salvias, 

 nierembergias, and heliotropes, are the most popular and suitable. The principal stock 

 should be secured in the fall, at which period cuttings are readily procured. 



Plants propagated now will grow as freely as those kept over winter ; the latter, however, 

 will give flowers earlier. There are various expedients for striking cuttings. A good one is 

 to procure a box with sides a foot in depth, in which is placed a few inches of sand or light 

 earth ; set it on the greenhouse shelf above the hottest part of the flue or waterjjipes, the 

 bottom of the box should be thickly perforated with holes, to admit heat to the sand ; the 

 box should be covered with large loose squares of glass ; its ample sides obviate the neces- 

 sity of shading. 



Roxes; to have perpetual, recourse must be had to deep culture. Dig the soil to a depth of 

 eighteen inches, and throw aside the subsoil, supply its place with good surface soil and 

 manure ; to have continued bloom, the plants must be kept in continued growth, and that 

 can only be guaranteed by allowing the roots a deep and suitable medium, to escape from 

 the burning sun and severe droughts of summer. A score of plants thus cared for, will 

 give more flowers than a hundred under ordinary treatment. 



William Sauxdees 



