IGO ON THE CULTURE OF THE CALCEOLAREA. 



produced ; such shoots being then taken off, and potted separately, 

 establish themselves well before the severity of winter ; they should 

 be potted into small pots, in a light sandy loam and vegetable mould 

 equal parts. Immediately on potting, they must be placed in a close 

 frame for about a month ; this closeness very materially contributes 

 to an immediate growth, for, when exposed to a stronger current of 

 air, it has a tendency to dry the foliage and injure the plant. Whilst 

 in the frame, keep the soil moist, but be careful not to wet the foliage, 

 as it would be likely to rot the plants. At the end of November, the 

 plants should be placed on a shelf near the glass in a greenhouse to 

 remain during the winter. In this situation they will grow freely, 

 and if the pots become filled with roots, they should be re-potted into 

 larger : this encourages them to grow in size, without which weak 

 blooming shoots would in all probability push, to the injury of a 

 proper bloom the following season. 



At the beginning of March the plants must be re-potted into 

 twenty-four sized pots, using wide-mouthed pots, as such keep the 

 earth in a much better state than upright ones. Have a sandy loam 

 enriched with well rotted cow-dung : the latter is found very bene- 

 ficial ; being of a cooler nature than horse-dung, it is more suited to 

 the Calceolarea. At the beginning of April, re-pot into twelve-sized 

 pots, using the same kind of compost. At each potting a free portion 

 of drainage should be given, to admit the water to run off easily 

 upon the potsherds, lumps of loam, bog, and dung of two or three 

 inches in diameter; this admits a greater proportion of water being 

 applied, and affords a corresponding quantity of nutriment. Fresh 

 water and liquid manure should be regularly used from the potting 

 into twenty-fours, using the liquid manure every third watering. 

 The plants should be kept in the front part of a greenhouse during 

 the time from autumn to the close of their blooming, which is usually 

 the end of July. In hot sun a net shading or canvas shade is 

 requisite over the glass. At that time, the stems being withered, I 

 re-pot those desired for extra-sized plants the following year, by 

 reducing the balls of earth and potting them into pots about half the 

 size they had been growing in. After potting they should be placed 

 in a cool frame, and shaded from hot sun for a month. Then expose 

 them to the open air, placing them in the shade from mid-day sun 

 till about the middle of October, when they should be removed into 



