152 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
the greenhouse, be placed close to the glass, and have plenty of air 
Here it will be necessary for me to say that it will be no use to 
place the plants in lofty or dark houses, especially such as have the 
roof covered with vines; they will not flower satisfactorily in houses 
of this sort. We ventilate the house freely when the plants are 
first brought indoors in September, to lessen the change as much 
as possible. In a fortnight afterwards they will begin to feel at 
home, and, as the weather will become colder, less air will be neces- 
sary. Air-giving must at all times be regulated by the state of the 
weather outside. In dull, damp weather, use a little extra fire-heat, 
to admit of the ventilators being opened for a short time during the 
early part of the day, rather than keep them close for fear of the 
house getting too cold. We regulate our house between 55° and 60° 
throughout the whole winter, and the plants grow and flower grandly 
in that warmth. It is an important matter not to deprive the plants 
of a breath of fresh air for the sake of a few shovelfuls of firing, 
when it can be admitted without injury. 
Plants managed as advised will flower freely from October until 
the following May, or longer if required. They are, however, not 
so much wanted after the middle of the month for conservatory 
decoration, as we then have plenty of the more highly finished 
florists’ flowers. About the middle of May place the plants in a dry 
airy house, where they will receive just sufficient protection from 
frost. Early in June place them out-of-doors to ripen the wood, 
and immediately that is accomplished, cut the shoots back to three 
or four buds each, in the same manner as other varieties. Let them 
remain on the bed of ashes until the young shoots are about half an 
inch in length, and then shake out and repot. The roots must not 
be pruned in quite so much as those of the ordinary varieties. They 
should be potted at once into thirty-twos or twenty-fours, according 
to their size. Over-potting must be guarded against; but by 
putting them in the above-mentioned sizes at once, no further shift 
will be required until next year. 
When they are potted, they should be placed in a cold frame, 
and have the freest ventilation possible. The lights ought only to 
be put on in wet weather, and then they should be tilted back and 
front, the object being merely to protect the plants from becoming 
too wet at the roots. No stopping will be required after the first 
year, as this variety has a very compact branching habit, and bushy, 
well-shaped specimens can be had without the excessive pinching 
and stopping necessary to keep most of the other varieties in order. 
Asa proof of this, I may mention that I have had plants that were 
allowed to grow as they like without any stopping, that have become 
perfect pyramids, covered with flowers. In September they must 
go to the greenhouse, and from that time receive the attention 
advised for the young stock the previous season. 
T have not as yet said anything about watering and soil. The 
first can be dismissed with a few words, there being no material 
difference between its application to this and the summer-flowering 
varieties. Gauntlet will require rather more than the others during 
the winter, as it will then be in full growth, whilst the others will 
