BEGONTA, ot 
greenhouse or for garden decoration. Upon their intro- 
duction into this country they were not supposed, by 
our florists, to be able to withstand our rare atmosphere, 
drying winds and burning suns. The few that thought 
differently persevered in their cultivation unti’ they es- 
tablished the fact that they would not only endure our 
climatic conditions, but that they were just what these 
plants required for their full development. The idea 
that a low temperature and moist atmosphere were nec- 
essary to the successful cultivation of the Tuberous Be- 
gonias, was abandoned during the season of 1892, which 
was one of the driest and hottest known for many years. 
In the nursery row—the proper place to judge of a 
plant’s usefulness—it appeared during that year to the 
best possible advantage. It showed, also, just what must 
be done to insure success, and that it can withstand ex- 
treme heat and excessive drouth as well as almost any 
other bedding plant. The principal point learned in re- 
gard to its culture is, that it must be treated as a plant 
and not as a bulb. The enthusiastic florist, seeing the 
many good qualities of the plant, has led amateurs to 
believe it could be treated as a bulb, and planted out in 
the same manner as the Gladiolus or Tigridia, and 
kept dormant during the winter in the same manner. 
This is a great mistake, as the tubers will not endure as 
long a period of rest, and cannot be exposed to the air 
for a long time without seriously injuring their vitality. 
The tubers must be kept in dry earth or sand, until they 
show signs of growth, which will not be later than the 
first of March, then they may be:started into rapid 
growth. After the eyes are fully developed the tubers 
may be divided; each eye will make a plant. Then 
they are to be treated in all respects like greenhouse 
plants, and grown on until the proper season for their 
planting out. This is not before the first of June, as 
Begonias are quite sensitive to cold nights, but not at 
