CINERARIA. 



Greenliouse and Stove Plants. 



10/ 



saved from carefully-selected plants of a 

 good strain ; this method also gives much 

 less trouble than in the case of increase by 

 suckers, and the plants are more vigorous. 

 When required for early flowering— say 

 to come in at the beginning of the year — 

 tlie seed should be sown about the end of 

 March in i^ans, drained and filled with soil 

 composed of three parts good fibrous loam, 

 sifted, to two of leaf-mould, with a good 

 sprinkling of sand added. Press the soil 

 moderately firm, and sow the seeds evenly 

 and not too thickly, or the young plants 

 get crowded and drawn up before they are 

 large enough to transplant. Just cover the 

 seed with fine soil, and press it slightly ; 

 stand in a temperature of 55°, where tlie 

 sun will not reach the soil so as to make it 

 necessary to give much water before the 

 plants vegetate. As soon as they appear 

 place the pans as near the glass as they can 

 iDe got, shade slightly from the sun, and 

 give a moderate amount of air, wliich in- 

 crease as the seedlings gain strength. When 

 the young plants are big enough to handle 

 prick them out three inches apart in pans, 

 or shallow boxes, filled with soil similar to 

 that in which the seed was sown, and treat 

 as before. Give shade when necessary, 

 with air through the day and plenty of 

 water to keep the soil moist. Before they 

 get crowded move them singly into 4-inch 

 pots ; use soil as before, but it should not be 

 sifted, and should contain a little less sand. 

 An ordinary garden frame will now be the 

 best place for them ; stand it so as to face 

 north, in which way the sun will not have 

 so much power on the glass. Keep close 

 for a few days until the roots get hold of 

 the new soil, after which give air freely 

 and shade from the sun in the middle of 

 the day ; give plenty of water, and syringe 

 overhead in the afternoons. Cinerarias 

 are quick-growing and free-rooting jilanta, 

 and must not be allowed to remain in the 

 pots they now occupy until the roots be- 

 come matted, or in anything approaching a 

 13ot-bound condition, or they cannot after- 

 wards be got to move freely. Consequently 

 when the soil is fairly filled with roots 

 they must be moved to their blooming 

 pots ; such as are 6 or 7 inches in diameter 

 will be quite large enough, provided the 

 plants are attended to witli manure-water 

 as they require it. Without a liljeral 

 supply of this they cannot l)e had in such 

 a good condition. Some rotten dung may 

 at this point be added to the soil, and the 

 pots should be drained well. In a few 

 days after potting the lights should be 

 tilted back and front in the day so as to 

 allow plenty of air, and be removed alto- 

 "ether in the niulit when the dews will 



benefit them ; keep the material on which 

 the pots are stood during the summer 

 always damp, syringe the plants overhead 

 in the afternoons, and as soon as the roots 

 have got fairly hold of the soil give manure- 

 water at each alternate watering. 



In the cultivation of Cinerarias it is all 

 through the several stages of their growth 

 necessary to stand them sufficiently far 

 apart to prevent their being at all drawn, 

 for should this , occur, the large bottom 

 leaves which add so mucli to their appear- 

 ance and are equally essential to a strong 

 vigorous condition are sure to die off before 

 the time of flowering. Directly there is 

 any danger of frost they must be moved to 

 Avhere it cannot reach them, but they 

 should if possible not be stood on dry 

 shelves or stages as they dislike a dry 

 atmosphere, and this also is injurious to 

 tlie leaves. Standing the pots through the 

 winter as hitherto advised on ashes or 

 other material that will hold moisture, 

 will do much towards keeping them free 

 from insects and preserving the lower 

 leaves. In a temperature of 40'' to 45° in 

 the night, the earliest \W11 come into 

 flower by Christmas ; those that show a 

 disposition to be later will do with a tempe- 

 rature of from 35° to 40°. For spring 

 blooming a second lot of plants should be 

 raised ; the seed should be sown about the 

 end of May, and the treatment in other 

 ways be as recommended for the earliest. 



If it is intended to save seed the plants 

 that bloom in spring should be closely 

 looked to as flowers begin to open ; select 

 the best forms and most distinct colours, 

 and as soon as any of decided merit appear 

 at once remove them to small frames, each 

 colour separate, and all at some distance 

 away from the general collection. By this 

 means and this alone can the strain, even if 

 good to begin with, be kejjt up to the 

 required standard. Should any varieties 

 appear of extraoidinary merit they may be 

 propagated by division of the suckers 

 which the plants produce after flowering ; 

 put them singly in small pots and keep 

 close iintil established, after which treat as 

 advised for the stock raised from seed. 



Insects. — Cinerarias are very subject to 

 greenfly, which establishes itself on the 

 undersides of the lower leaves and increases 

 apace. The stock should be often examined, 

 and immediately the aphides are found on 

 a plant it should be dipped in tobacco 

 water, which will be found a much better 

 as well as more expeditious way of dealing 

 with the pests than allowing the whole to 

 get affected before taking means for their 

 destruction. Fumigation with tobacco will 

 kill them, but the leaves are often injured 



