-I GO 



HORTICULTURE 



June 5, 1920 



BEGONIAS FROM NOVEMBER TO 

 MARCH 



Cuttings of H. Gloire de Lorraine 

 and its variety amabilis are available 

 by the month of April. Only those 

 proceeding from the root-stalks should 

 be used. The cuttings may be insert- 

 ed in thumb pots, but I have found 

 greater success in the use of ordinary 

 cutting boxes, about 6 inches in deptn 

 These should be well drained and halt 

 filled with fine sand and sifted leaf- 

 mould in equal quantities, with a layer 

 of silver sand on the top. Insert the 

 cuttings firmly, give the soil a good 

 watering and cover the box with a 

 sheet of glass: afford shade from 

 bright sunshine. This method has 

 been found to produce excellent re- 

 sults, and a fine root system which is 

 little damaged if intelligently handled 

 when placing the young plants in 3- 

 inch pots at the first potting, says a 

 writer in the Gardener's Chronicle. 



The compost for the first potting 

 may be composed of one part loam, 

 two parts "flaky" leaf-mould and sand. 



I am convinced that the period be- 

 tween this and subsequent pottings is 

 the critical stage in the cultivation of 

 these Begonias. 



Before experience taught me other 

 methods I followed the general prac- 

 tice of providing an elevated stage 

 for the young plants in the stove, 

 watering, shading, and spraying in the 

 usual way. The results were far from 

 satisfactory. The young plants did 

 not grow freely, and consequently 

 were easy victims to rust and thrip. 

 To those who have sufficient room in 

 a propagating case I would recommend 

 placing the young plants thereih for 

 a time, giving them care in watering 

 Failing these facilities here, a Ijox 15 

 inches deep and of a length suitable 

 to requirements was made. Herein 

 the young plants are bedded to the 

 depths of the pots in Sphagnum-moss. 

 Sheets of glass are laid over the box. 

 which is made so as to incline the 

 glass a little, and this allows moisture 

 to drain off easily at the sides and 

 prevent "drip." which is so harmful to 



the foliage of Begonias. In these con- 

 ditions the plants grow strongly and 

 make liranched specimens by the time 

 larger pots become necessary. 



Anticipating this repotting by a day 

 or two the glass should be removed 

 from the box to allow the occupants 

 to become accustomed to the less con- 

 genial atmosphere of the stove. For 

 this potting H-inch pots are used with 

 special attention to the drainage. The 

 potting soil we use is not a complex 

 "mixture," and consists simply of loam, 

 two parts — the best procurable — the 

 soil sifted out and the fibre retained; 

 leaf-soil or mould of Oak or Beech from 

 the previous years' "fall," in a flaky 

 condition, and clean sharp sand. This 

 compost, whrle retaining moisture, 

 never becomes sodden like other mix- 

 tures I have used. Potting is best 

 done loosely; just sufficient pressure is 

 needed to ensure that no spaces exist 

 i;etw6en the ball of the plant and the 

 sides of the pot. The parts of the stove 

 exposed to the strongest rays of the 

 snn will have been lightly shaded by 



I iiroun ISeKoiiiu uf tlie l.iirriiine Type 



