March 28, 1887. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTIOULTOBE AND COTTAGE GAEDBNEB. 



221 



THE CULTURE OF THE CINERARIA. 



INERARIAS are a class of 

 plants wliich have not ad- 

 vanced in favour latel}', at 

 least not the named varie- 

 ties. Thej- are more easily 

 managed from seed, pcrliaps, 

 and if that can be obtained of a good .strain, seedling plants 

 make a good display. For those who are not jiarticular 

 about having all their plants ^vith perfect- shaped flowers, 

 such are the best ; but if perfect-shaped flowers are re- 

 quired, and the.se of certain colours, the named varieties 

 must be cultivated ; and what brilliant colours are to be 

 found amongst them ! intense blue, deep purple, and glow- 

 ing crimson. From the length of time, also, during which 

 it continues in flower the Cineraria is one of the most 

 useful of spring-flowering, softwooded, greenhouse plants, 

 and it is certainly deserving of more care than is some- 

 times bestowed on it, especially when it is considered that 

 the plant may bo had in flower from Christmas until 

 May. 



Cinerarias are easily cultivated. The best way to pro- 

 pagate the named varieties is by off'shoots from the root, 

 and for early bloom this may be done as soon as they can 

 be obtained after the old plants are cut down, and in .July 

 and August for late flowering. I pot tliem singly in 

 60-sLzed pots, using a compost of half pe.at and lip.lf turly 

 loam, chopped tine, liberally mixed with silver sand ; part of 

 the compost is sifted in order to obtaia some fine mould to 

 place on the surface, using the rougher part at the bottom. 

 Until lately I used leaf mould instead of peat, but I can- 

 not obtain it here so readily as the latter, and I And the 

 oifsets do equally weU in it. Thej^ are then placed in a 

 frame where they liave the advantage of a little bottom 

 heat — a Cucuraber-fi'ame is as good a place as any — and 

 two rows may be ranged along the front of the frame, 

 which -wiW shade them from the sun. The old plants are 

 kept in a shady corner out of doors, as some of the cuttings 

 may fail, but as soon as a sufficient number of J'oung plants 

 are rooted they are thrown awaj", and the pots washed and 

 laid aside for future use. 



The plants will not all strike root about the same time, 

 but those which show signs of growing are removed to 

 a cold frame untU all are ready, and as soon as they are 

 hardened ofl' they are shifted into larger-sized pots, using 

 the same compost, but a less quantit}' of sand, and adding 

 some rotten cow-manure. The frame in which the plants 

 are now placed has its liighest side towards the south, as 

 the Cineraria is very impatient of the direct rays of the 

 sun, and a circulation of air is obtained underneath by the 

 frame being raised on a brick placed at each corner. The 

 plants are kept as near the glass as possible by being 



No. 813.— Vol. XIL, New Sebtes. 



elevated on pots ; or, which is better, a temporary stage is 

 made with 4i-inch planks cut the length of the frame, 

 inside measure, and placed on pots, using larger pots at 

 the back, so that all the plants may be about 3 inches 

 from the glass when the lights are on and the frame shut 

 A stage erected in this way has a neat appearance, and 

 the pots may be made to stand level, which is of great 

 importance ; for if the}' do not stand level they cannot be 

 watered properly. The plants must not at any time be 

 allowed to flag, for if they do hosts of insects will make 

 their appearance. They are at all times liable to the 

 attacks of green fly and thrips, both of which ought to be 

 destroyed by fumigating with tobacco, as the leaves are 

 disfigured and permanently injured by being washed with 

 some of the mixtures used for destroying these insects. 



If the plants are carefully watered and kept free from 

 insects by fumigating they will grow rapidly, and as soon 

 as they have filled the pots mth roots, and before they 

 become pot-bound, they should be shifted into seven-inch 

 pots, using the compost ah-cady named, or one of two parts 

 turfy loam, one part leaf mould, some rotten cow manure, 

 and sand if the loam is not of a sandy natnre. The plants 

 intended for early flowering are allowed to flower in these 

 pots, and in general are not pinched back. 



The most forward will come in at Christmas, but those 

 which are intended to flower until the Pelargoniums take 

 their place are treated diflerently ; they are pinched back, 

 and shifted into nine-inch pots, and the best place to 

 grow them in is a span-roofed jiit nmning north and south. 

 Here they ought to be arranged as near the glass as pos- 

 sible, and so that the foliage of any two plants may not 

 touch. Care must also be exercised in watering, especially 

 in dull weather ; none of the foliage .should be wetted, and 

 watering should be performed in the morning, so that the 

 damp may be dried up before the house is closed at night. 

 All mildewed and decayed leaves must bo removed as soon 

 as they are observed. 



The plants will soon throw up a number of flower- shoots, 

 and to make fine specimens the shoots must be tied out. 

 The best way of doing this is to fasten a wire round the 

 rim of the pot. and draw the shoots towards it with a strip 

 of matting ; this must, however, be done carefully, as the 

 stems are very apt to break if bent too much : rather than 

 bend them too much at first it is better to go over them a 

 second time in a week or ten days, and bring them down 

 so that they may ultimately touch the rim of the pot. 

 Enough shoots must be left to fill up the centre of the 

 plant, and these must be trained regularly by stakes thrust 

 in the soil and placed at convenient distances. 



After the roots have nearly filled the pots in which the 

 plants are intended to flower (a nine-inch pot is large 

 enough for the finest specimen), they ought to be suppUed 

 ■ndth liquid manure twice a-week. That whicli I have 

 found best is made from shoep's-droppings picked up in the 

 field and used fresh, half a bushel being put into a tub 

 along -svitli fifteen gallons of water. Mter stining the 

 whole weU together, and allowing it to stand for twenty- 

 four liom-s, the liquid is ready for use ; but before applying 

 it an equal quantity of clear water should be added. 



No. 965.— Vol, XSXVU., Old Sejoes. 



