136 



Greenliuuse and Stove Plaids. 



CYCLAMEN. 



late autumn and winter months sow about 

 the end of July, in wide shallow pans 

 filled with a mixture of sifted fibrous loam, 

 with some leaf-mould and alittle sand added. 

 Press the material moderately firm, scatter 

 the seeds an inch apart over the surface, 

 and cover them with about a fourtli of an 

 inch of the soil. When sown at this time 

 stand in a temperature of about 60", where 

 they will soon vegetate by keeping the 

 soil a little moist ; to do this without 

 giving too much water a thin paper may 

 be laid over the surface and removed as 

 soon as the plants are up, after which they 

 must be kept close to the glass, and the 

 sun not allowed to reach them. The best 

 place in which to grow them through their 

 early stages is a low heated pit where an 

 intermediate temperature (which is neces- 

 sary all through the first autumn and 

 winter so as to get them on large enough 

 to flower satisfactorily by the close of the 

 ensuing year and on through the sub- 

 sequent winter) can be kept up. Give a 

 moderate amount of air daily from the 

 time the young plants are up, keeping the 

 atmosphere a little moist, and syringing 

 slightly in the afternoons ; as soon as 

 large enough to handle move singly into 

 small pots, using soil similar to that in 

 which the seeds were sown. Stand them 

 on a moist bottom, still close to the glass ; 

 leave off shading as the sun decreases in 

 power, and keep up a night temperature 

 during the winter of about 50°, in which 

 they will go on growing so as to require 

 moving at the beginning of April into 3-in. 

 pots. Then iise similar soil, but add a 

 tittle cow manure that has got old and 

 mellow. They will now require a little more 

 warmth, and until the season is further ad- 

 vanced enough fire should be used in cool 

 weather to keep them up to 55° in the night, 

 and proportionately higher by day when 

 there is an absence of sun to raise the tem- 

 perature. A thin shade will again be 

 needful through the spring and summer 

 whenever the sun comes on them. Care 

 must be taken at all times through the 

 season of growth that they never want for 

 water at the roots, or they will receive a 

 severe check. Keep the atmosphere and 

 the material on which the pots stand 

 moist, syringe overhead each afternoon, 

 all of which are requisite to keej? them 

 free from red spider. Give air every day, 

 but avoid draughts ; towards the end of 

 June move the plants into 6-inch pots, 

 which will be large enough to flower them 

 in the first season, and use a fair amount 

 of drainage. Continue to treat as hitherto 

 advised in the early part of the summer 

 until Septembei', when give more air, and 



iic" 



discontinue shading and syringing so as to 

 solidify the growth and induce the forma-| 

 tion of flowers. Still let them have 

 position near the glass, but through the'^ 

 autumn and winter let the material on ■ 

 which the pots are be dry. If each plant . 

 is now stood on an inverted pot it will 

 allow a better circxdation of air round 

 them ; with the same view do not crowd 

 them too close — a condition that should in 

 all the stages of growth be avoided or the 

 leaves will get drawn and weak and the 

 plants spoilt. If all has gone well they 

 will now be sturdy examples, with short 

 stout leaf stalks, the foliage half covering 

 the pots ; they will flower freely through 

 the last months of the year and early part 

 of winter, during which they should be 

 kept in a night temperature of 45° or 50°. 



After blooming keep a little cooler, and 

 when all danger of frost is over they may 

 be turned out under a north wall, the pots 

 plunged in ashes, or still better they may 

 be kept in a cold frume, placed where they 

 will be out of the full sun, and given 

 enough water to prevent the soil getting 

 quite dry. The plants will lose most of 

 their leaves through the early part of 

 sirmnrer, but will afterwards push up 

 quantities ; as soon as these are visible 

 give more water, and when a little growth 

 has been made move into pots a couple of 

 inches larger, shaking away the old soil 

 and replacing it with new, of a like de- 

 scription to that hitherto recommended. 

 Afterwards stand them in a pit, frame, or' 

 house and treat as advised for the preced- 

 ing season, except that they will not now 

 require to be kept quite so close. The en- 

 suing winter the plants will yield numbers 

 of flowers proportionate to the increased 

 size they have attained. After blooming 

 again treat as in the previous spring and 

 summer in the matter of standing out, re- 

 potting, &c. They may be kept on after' 

 theyhaveagaiu flowered, or be discarded and 

 their place taken by younger stock, which 

 it is well to kee]! coming on by sowing 

 sonre seed each season. When the sowing 

 is deferred until autumn keep a little 

 cooler both before and after the plants 

 come up, and it will be well to prick them 

 oft", when large enough, 2 inches apart in 

 pans, allowing them to remain until spring 

 before potting singly ; afterwards treat as 

 advised for the early sown stock. 



Insects. — Eed spider, to which they are 

 liable, will usually be kept vrnder by 

 following the course of cultivation de- 

 tailed. Thrips and aphides sometimes 

 attack them, getting to the undersides of 

 the leaves arrd doing mrrch mischief befor'e 

 bein" seen. These insects should be re- 



