IRISH GARDENING 



scarlet and crimson, and it is only a question of 

 time befoi-e we shall have all the beautiful tints 

 seen in the tuberous-rooted section reproduced in 

 the group now under notice. At one time the 

 culture of these Begonias was considered 

 extremely difificult. but to-day their reqviiremeilts 

 are more fully understood. 



After the flowering period is over, the i)lants 

 rest until the end of March, but they are not 

 dried off altogether', as they do not form tubers. 

 It is a kind 

 of compro- 

 mise, which 

 has been de- 

 scribed as a 

 t lii c k en e d 

 I' oo t-s t ock, 

 a n d w h-e n 

 giving water 

 d u ring the 

 season of re- 

 pose this im- 

 portant fact 

 slioul d be 

 borne in mind 

 The best plan 

 is to give just 

 enough water 

 to keep the 

 stems and 

 leaves from 

 falling, while 

 if too mvich is 

 ai>i)lied, the 

 1 ) 1 a n t s will 

 decay. About 

 the end of 

 .March or early 

 in April 

 growth com- 

 mences, and 

 the tempera- 

 ture should 

 fluctuate be- 

 tween 60 ° 

 and 6.5° F., 

 and the at mo- 

 sphere ought 

 to be kept 

 moist. 



When the 

 s li o o t s are 

 about three 

 inches in length 

 cuttings may 

 be taken. 



Place each 

 one into a 

 small thumb 

 l)ot, and then 

 arrange them 



in the projjagating frame oi' a hand Ught. with the 

 tem])erature about 70° F. Pot them on as they 

 fill their receptacles with roots, and they will 

 make nice flowering examjdes the following 

 winter. For full sized i)lants, jxits from six to 

 seven inches in diameter will be ample, and they 

 should be filled one-fourth of their dei)th with 

 drainage. 



A suitable conipost consists of good fibrous 

 loam three parts, and one part leaf-mould, with a 

 sjirinkling of sharp sand. If the loam is of i)oor 

 (piaiity a little well decayed manure or some 

 reliable fertilizer may be added with advantage. 

 During the growing season the tem]ierature should 



vary between 60° and 70° F., giving a little 

 ventilation when the elements permit : keep a 

 buoyant atmosphere by occasionally syringing 

 between the pots, but never spray the plants 

 overhead, while shade will be necessary during 

 hot bright weather. 



The two i)ests to guard against are thrips and 

 a small mite which attacks the under surface of 

 the leaves, but these can be kept down by 

 fumigation. — Southerner. 



Two Fine 

 Cypripediixms 

 — Cypripedi- 

 u m s are 

 very often 

 grown in 

 ])laces where 

 there is no 

 a t t e m p t 

 made to cul- 

 tivate other 

 orchids, a n d 

 this is pro- 

 bably due to 

 the fact that 

 they are of 

 easy culture, 

 and fl o w e i' 

 d u ring t he 

 dull period of 

 the year. 

 The two we 

 especially re 

 commend are 

 varieties o f 

 the o 1 d C. 

 insigne^viz., 

 Sandera? and 

 II a r e fi el d 

 Hall. The 

 former is the 

 finest of the 

 yellow s e c - 

 tion, being a 

 b e a u t i f u 1 

 l)rimrose yel- 

 ! o w. exce])t 

 the up])er half 

 of tlie doi'sai 

 sepal, whicli 

 is pure white. 

 The latter 

 variety is also 

 the best 

 a m o n g tlic 

 si)otted kind. 

 It is a giaiid 

 bold flower, 

 the dorsal sejial being heavily spotted with 

 chocolate - i)urple, and broadly margined with 

 white. The rest of the bloomi is yellowish green 

 suffused with rich brown. An intermediate tein- 

 l)erature is most suitable, and the atmosphere 

 shovUd be kei)t fairly moist during the summer 

 months. The repotting ought to be done soon 

 after the flowers are removed, using a mixture 

 of loam, partly decayed oak leaves, peat, and 

 sphagnum moss in equal parts. Ordinary flower 

 ])ots are chosen and filled one-third of their 

 depths with drainage. After the rei)otting care 

 must be taken not to over water the plants or 

 the roots will soon decay. T. W. B. 



(i.iBKAN.s Pink. 

 One of the'ncw Winter-flowering Begonias, with bright pink flowers 



8 inches across. 



being heavilv 



