IRISH C.ARDHMNC; 



Winter I'low criii«' Ik'uonias. 



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dc L. 



THIS tihriHis-iooto*.! I\pc ot llio lioi^onia is 

 llu>i\niL;hl> apprccialcil iliirinj^ the dull 

 i.li\aiy nuMitlis of wiiUor, uIk'm i1k\ so 

 boauti'ully (.miIInlmi our plant-houses uilh lluir 

 i^^racohil llowcrs. I'\ii- tabic decoration no 

 plant looks so eharininj^ as these in winter, 

 espeeiall) under arlificial lij^ht, iMit it is t"oun».l 

 soniotinies rather dilHeult to i^row . The secret 

 ot" i,^ro\\inij these plants well is to tlo so t.|uickly 

 in a warm, moist atmosphere from the time the 

 cuttin,t,^s arc put in until the llowerinj^ period ; 

 liberal fccdins^- w ith liquid manure at the proper 

 lime, a lii,''ht position, and ample room are neces- 

 sary frc>m the start, but shaele should be i^ixen 

 from the hot sun. Old plants that ha\e ceased 

 tlowerinj;- should have their flower stems cut off 

 two or three inches above the soil, keepinj^ 

 them rather drier at the roots tiian usual. 

 After a short time a number of small shoots 

 will be seen i^rowinj^- from the base of eacli, 

 and these, when two inches long-, may be taken 

 ofV and inserted as cutting-s ; manv _i,'-rowers are 

 impatient, and take cuttings which are not 

 suitable. Shoots carrying flowers or showing- 

 flower buds should never be utilised for pro- 

 pag-ating-, as these always result in failure ; 

 shoots spring-ing from the base are the best. 

 Cutting-s may be inserted singly in thumb pots, 

 or a few cuttings may be placed round the rims 

 oi three-inch pots filled with light loam and 

 leaf soil in equal parts, with a good dash of silver 

 sand. The pots should then be placed in a pro- 

 pagating frame or even a gentle hotbed, and kept 

 close and only moderately moist until rooted. 



When they are rooted and starting into 

 growth a little air should be admitted and 

 gradually increased until the}' are renuned 

 altogetlier and placed on a shelf close to the 

 glass. In a few days they should be potted 

 off singly into small pots, disturbing the soil 

 round the roots as little as possible. Use a 

 similar soil to that in which they have been 

 propagated, adding a sprinkling of fine charcoal, 

 and again place them in the same position to 

 keep them sturdy. When well rooted thev 

 should again be potted into four-inch pots, using 

 a compost of tw o parts fibrous loam, one part 

 leaf soil, with some fine crushed charcoal and 

 sand. From this time daily watching will be 



necessar\ , |-»arl icularh in watering. As the 

 plants fill up the smaller |->ols they may receive 

 the final shift to fixe and a halfoisis inch pots; 

 a (.[uantity ol dried cow manure may be added 

 [o the ciMuposl for this potting. 



It a tew extra sized plants are required a 

 shift into seven-inch j-iots ma\ l-ie gi\en, but, as 

 a rule, six-inch pots aie large enough for 

 flowering in. Thex sliouKl be potted moderatelx' 

 firm, but not too liard. antl afford thorough 

 (.Irainage. Tliex may be finelx sprayed oxer- 

 iiead once a day, i->ul gixe water sparinglx' until 

 the jtlants are well rooted into the fresh soW, 

 when abundance of stimulants max be used. 

 IJc[uid cow and sheep manure, xxith eloses ol 

 soot xxater and Clay's fertiliser, are very good 

 tor this purpose. When the young shoots are 

 a few inches long the stakes should be prox ided, 

 making the centre the tallest, and letting all the 

 others slope outxxardly to form a pyramid. Care 

 should be taken to keep them frequently tied 

 during groxving season, and fumigated occasion- 

 ally to keep down red spider and other insects. 

 X'entilate judiciously on all favourable occasions 

 as it ensures a sturdy growth, but avoid any- 

 thing in the nature of a draught. The groxvths 

 sliould never be stopped, but keep all floxver buds 

 picked off imtil such times as they are wanted 

 to bloom. The plants xxill continue longer in 

 bloom if transferred to a cooler temperature 

 (say 55 degs.), but must be gradually hardened 

 to it, and not at once remox ed. This begonia is 

 well suited for groxving in baskets, and they 

 form lovely objects for a conservatory, hanging 

 like globes of floxver. If the coloiu s are 

 mixed the effect is all the more striking, but 

 they should be planted during the early stages 

 of their growth, so that the shoots can be 

 trained into their right position. 



Turnford Hal! is a good white (sometimes 

 blush) companion tor the rose-coloured Lor- 

 raine and the pink form o( Mrs Leopold de 

 Rothschild. J. M. Tkoup. 



StoniionI Ciis/If, Bd/ast. 



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Hki.i,i;hoki;s. — Ttiese planls are often spoiled by 

 slug-s eating- Ifie tender stioot.s and the flower buds. 

 Tfiis can be somexvtiat prevented by strewini^ fine asfies 

 around the stems and by setting- traps of brewers' 

 grain. If a little straxv is spread immediately under 

 the outer circumference of the foliag-e the floxx-ers xx'ill 

 he protected from the mud splashes xx'hich take awa}' 

 so much of their beaufv. 



