THE BEGONIA. 



375 



bous-rooted plants. Their leaves and stems 

 die away in the autumn, after the flower- 

 ing season is past, and the roots go into a 

 state of inactivity and rest, until the return 

 of the proper season when they are again 

 to be brought into life and action. After 

 the flowering season has passed and the 

 plants have attained their full maturity, wa- 

 ter must be gradually withheld, until the 

 leaves and stems have gradually and entire- 

 ly decayed, and separated from the tube- 

 rous roots. The roots are then to be placed 

 away for the winter, in any dry warm place ; 

 a convenient way is to i:urn the pots on their 

 sides on some dry shelf in the hot-house, or 

 beneath some of the benches where the wa- 

 ter does not drain through : it is desirable 

 that the tubers should be preserved in the 

 pots without being at all disturbed. By the 

 end of Februar}^ or the beginning of March, 

 they may be taken out, and removed from 

 amongst the old soil, and carefully repotted 

 into pots corresponding to their size ; the 

 soil should be rather dry, and but mode- 

 rately watered until they have manifested 

 signs of growth. The same kind of soil 

 may be used for these as for the others. 

 When necessary the plants must be repot- 

 ted, giving them a good shift when they 

 have got into a fair growing state. Through 

 the whole of this period they are to be 

 placed in anv convenient part of the stove, 

 Avhere they will be near the light, as for in- 

 stance, on a shelf near the glass, or close 

 to the front sashes. In the general features 

 of their treatment, the plants will in other 

 respects require the same attention as the 

 others. 



They do not require the excessive heat of 

 a stove, and therefore, if any portion of the 

 house is somewhat cooler than another, the 

 cooler part is that Avhich will be most suita- 

 ble for the Begonias. It will be an advan- 

 tage to place them altogether in a group, 

 not only for the sake of securing the cha- 

 racteristic appearance which this arrange- 

 ment favors, but also that they may all be 

 alike situated with regard to their treat- 

 ment. They do not well associate w'ith a 

 miscellaneous collection of plants in their 

 appearance, and the variety of habit, foli- 

 age, and color of the flowers among them, 

 is sufficient to prevent anything like mono- 



tony when kept in a group by themselves : 

 and as regards treatment, especially with re- 

 spect to moisture, this arrangement is much 

 to be preferred; for in the growing season, 

 when they require a liberal supply, it can 

 be afforded, and they can be readily sprin- 

 kled with the syringe two or three times a 

 day, which is very beneficial; and in the 

 winter season, or when they are at rest, the 

 syringing may be discontinued, and the soil 



Fig. 88. Begonia coceinea. 



more easily pi^ented from getting more 

 moisture than would be desirable. These 

 remarks apply chiefly to the plants during 

 the periods of active growth and rest; for 

 when in flower, it is of course quite proper 

 to remove them to any particular position 

 where the beautiful efll'ct of their blossoms 

 may be required, and if several may hap- 

 pen to be at one time in bloom, it may be 

 preferred to distribute them throughout the 

 structure, rather than to locate them in one 

 particular spot. 



Having said thus much with respect to 



