THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 19 



and generate a strong fume from the sulphur. This course must be 

 repeated daily until they are eradicated ; for if allowed to get any 

 head, the further production of fruit will be entirely prevented, and 

 that which is already formed will be without flavour and worthless. 



When about half grown, a piece of tile or glass should be placed 

 under each fruit, to keep it from the damp mould and allow it to 

 become properly coloured on the underside ; and it is a good plan to 

 lay large stones almost close together over the entire surface of the 

 bed, as they tend to keep the roots moist, and, by the refraction of 

 the sun's rays, assist in heightening the temperature of the bed. A 

 temperature of 75° or 80° is sufficient to ripen the ordinary class 

 of melons. 



THE CULTIVATION OF THE GLOXINIA. 



BY G. YOUNG. 



[O begin with propagation, select strong healthy leaves, 

 cut the strong ribs in several places, lay the leaves flat 

 on a convenient sized pot or seed-pan, and cover the 

 several cut parts with a little white or silver sand, 

 using a compost of sand and peat-mould. When struck 

 and swelled to the size of a pea, pot off into sixty-sized pots, using 

 a compost of dead leaf-mould, light loam, and sand in equal parts. 

 Grow them on through the season, and most of them will flower the 

 first year. 



To commence the second season's growth, in potting Gloxinias, 

 the principal part of the old soil should be removed carefully with 

 the hand, retaining all the fibrous roots as far as they are alive. 

 Put into as small pots as possible, setting them in a dry part of the 

 stove. Attend to watering, but this element must be supplied 

 cautiously at first, taking care not to water over the crown of the 

 plant, but round the edge of the pot. As the plant advances in 

 growth, it may occasionally be syringed with tepid water; when the 

 pot becomes filled with roots, shift the plants, using the same soil as 

 before. As the spring advances, the plants must be started into 

 active growth by being placed in the warmest part of the stove, but 

 it will be necessary they should have air at all favourable times. 

 Particularly attend to watering at this time, as they are very impa- 

 tient of being dry at this stage of their growth. When the plants 

 have filled the pots with roots, they may receive their last shift, the 

 size pots may be regulated according to the size of the plants, allow- 

 ing plenty of room for the roots to develop themselves, otherwise a 

 profusion of bloom and large flowers cannot be expected. Manure 

 water may be used to great advantage at this season. I should 

 have mentioned that it is particularly necessary to well drain the 

 pots with potsherds and rubble, with a covering of rough soil, as 

 nothing is more injurious than stagnated water at the roots. When 

 the flowering season begins and the flowers expand, remove the 

 plants to the greenhouse, taking care to shade them from the sun. 



January. 



