CALCEOLARIA, 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



CALCEOLARIA. 



467 



pagaling- the shrubby varieties is the 

 end of September and October, in a cold 

 wooden or turf frame on a dry bottom ; 

 fill it to within 6 in. of the top with sandy 

 loam, and over that spread some clean 

 silver sand. Then select stubby firm side 

 shoots, pick out any flower-spikes that are 

 visible, remove one or two of the base 

 leaves, cut horizontally below a joint with 

 a sharp knife, and dibble them thickly, 

 regularly and firmly into the frames, giving 

 a sprinkling of water through a fine rose 

 to settle the soil and to prevent their 



they should be transplanted ftirther apart 

 than previously, into other frames filled 

 with rich open soil, where they will 

 become fit for planting out by the middle 

 of May. 



Spring Propag.\tion. — Spring cut- 

 tings are mostly rooted in hotbeds, in 

 boxes, or in pans, and often as many damp 

 off as survive to become plants ; neverthe- 

 less, where the stock is deficient, this 

 mode must be resorted to. It is best to 

 strike them after the middle of March in 

 pure sand in a hotbed or propagating pit 



flagging. Keep the frames close and 

 shaded for a day or two, but afterwards 

 remove the shading, and only use it 

 during the succeeding month to counter- 

 act the effects of bright sunshine. 



Wintering. — These frames require no 

 further care beyond protection from frost, 

 by covering the sashes, and banking up 

 the sides, if of wood, with soil. Wooden 

 boxes, seed-pans, or pots might also be 

 used for striking Calceolarias in ; and in 

 them the plants might be wintered in 

 any pit, greenhouse, or conservatory. 

 Whether propagated in frames or boxes, 



where there is no stagnant moisture, and, 

 when well rooted, to pot them, or put 

 them in boxes in light sandy soil, still 

 keeping them in warm quarters for a few 

 days. After that, gradually shift them 

 into places in which there is less heat. 

 Powdered charcoal or wood ashes strewed 

 on the soil among the cuttings prevents 

 damp, and the watering-pot should be 

 used judiciously. 



Species of Calceolaria. — Apart from the 



varieties, a number of species are of some 



merit for the flower garden, and some are 



neglected and unknown. The greater 



11 H 2 



