MR. GORDON'S ACCOUNT OF ACHIMENES PATENS. 259 



placed in it at equal distances, be afterwards freely watered, 

 and again returned to the warm pit, after which but little is re- 

 quired except attention as to watering, shading, and occasional 

 syringing overhead, when the atmosphere of the pit appears to 

 get rather dry ; air however should be given, to prevent excess 

 of moisture and to keep the plants from getting drawn, upon 

 which much of the future success depends. About the middle 

 of May the plants should be removed to a deep pit, where there 

 is no artificial heat used, but which must be kept close and rather 

 moist, except on very bright and warm days, when the plants 

 should be fully screened from the sun and a good supply of back 

 air given, to keep down the internal temperature of the pit ; but 

 by no means should a draught be allowed to pass through the 

 plants or pit, for nothing is more injurious to their health than a 

 drying wind. 



After this nothing is required but proper attention as to wa- 

 tering, tying up, and keeping free from insects, &c., until they 

 begin to show their bloom buds, when the remaining portion of 

 the pans should be filled up with the same coarse compost as 

 that previously used, thus covering the young creeping stems, 

 and causing the plants to produce many side-shoots. When the 

 plants are in bloom they must constantly be screened from the 

 sun, and never syringed or watered overhead. If attacked 

 with the green fly, much caution is required in using tobacco- 

 smoke, as it very soon injures the leaves ; and when the foliage 

 is once injured the beauty of the plants is destroyed. 



About the end of September, or sooner, according to the time 

 when the plants have done flowering, withhold water gradually 

 from the roots, and give plenty of air to dry the atmosphere and 

 ripen the tops, and when the tops have become brown, cut them 

 off within an inch or two of the surface of the soil, and remove 

 the pans (soil and roots) to some cool cellar or other similar 

 situation, where the roots are out of the reach of frost and damp. 

 In this situation they may remain all winter, and when any root 

 is again wanted for starting, a portion may be taken out of the 

 pans, and the remainder left for future successions. 



If the roots are started about the middle of January they will 

 flower in May ; and once a month afterwards is quite often enough 

 for keeping up a good succession. 



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