ON THE CULTURE OP THE BALSAM. 171 



that I have used broken pieces of pots in the maimer recommend- 

 ed with . the stones, with almost equal success, only care must 

 betaken that the pot is soft, or what gardeners call a good pot, 

 not over burnt. J F 



June 19th, 1827. 



ARTICLE II, 

 ON THE CULTURE OF THE BALSAM. 



BY SCRUTATOR. 



Although several papers have been written on the cultivation 

 of the Balsam, yet .they are so very complicated, that I am in- 

 duced after along experience, to forward to you a method of 

 treatment, which I have found to be very successful and simple. 

 The seeds (which should at least be from four to ten years old) 

 must be sown in a hot bed about the middle [or latter end of 

 March m a sod taken from a cucumber bed, in quanties of half 

 sandy loam and rotten dung, which has been turned over two or 

 three times during the winter. I suffer the plants in the seed- 

 pots to be drawn up about three inches when they are planted 

 off singly into very small pots, filled with the same soif, they 

 must remain until the roots are seen shooting through the hole 

 at the bottom of the pot, when they must be repotted into the 

 next size, and so on continually till they fill pots of the largest 

 size. Care should be taken to keep the plants as near to the 

 glass as possible, and particularly remember to take off the first 

 buds, which strengthens the plant amazingly, and make them 

 blossom more double though later. I generally shade the plants 

 whenever the sun shines very hot upon them, to prevent scorch- 

 g the leaves I also use clear pond water after it has been in 

 the frame six hours. By pursuing this course I have been sin 

 gularly successful in raising Balsams so as to astonish every p_ 

 son m this neighbourhood, and I hope other persons will be as 

 fortunate as myself, after they have read my method 



Scrutator. 



P. S. Should the above communication be approved of I sh ,„ 

 with great pleasure inform you of the course of treatment I h ave 



