238 ON THE CULTURE OF HERBACEOUS CALCEOLARIAS. 



eminently successful, for insertion in an early number of the Flori- 

 cultural Cabinet. 



During October and November all those off-shoots that are under- 

 most throw out a quantity of small rootlets ; the shoots being taken 

 off, and potted immediately, establish themselves. I pot them sepa- 

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

 equal parts. Immediately on potting I place them 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 I keep the soil moist, but am careful not to wet the foliage, 

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

 have the plants placed on a shelf near the glass in a greenhouse, 

 where they remain during the winter. In this situation they grow 

 freely, and if the pot becomes filled with roots I re-pot into a larger ; 

 this encourages the plant to grow in size, without which weak bloom- 

 ing shoots would in all probability push, to the injury of its proper 

 blooming the following season. 



At the end of March, I re-pot the whole into twenty-four-sized pots, 

 using a sandy loam enriched with well rotted cow-dung : the latter is 

 found very beneficial ; being of a cooler nature than horse-dung, it 

 is more suited to the Calceolaria. At the end of April, or first week 

 in May, I re-pot into twelve-sized pots, using the same kind of com- 

 post. At each potting a free portion of drainage is given, to admit 

 the water to run off easily : this admits a greater proportion of water 

 being applied, and affords a corresponding quantity of nutriment. 

 I use fresh water and liquid manure regularly from the potting into 

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

 plants are kept in the greenhouse during the time from autumn to 

 the close of their blooming, which is usually the end of July. At 

 that time, the stems being withered, I re-pot those I wish for extra- 

 sized plants the following year, by reducing the balls of earth and 

 potting them into pots about half the size they bad been growing in. 

 After potting, they are placed in a cool frame, and shaded from hot 

 sun for a month. I then expose them to the open air, placing them 

 in the shade from mid-day sun, till about the middle of October, 

 when I remove them into the greenhouse as before. In March and 



