194 ILLUSTRATIONS. 



The following kinds are of the habit of A. coccinea, but tlie flowci's 

 are a little larger, viz. : — 



A. atrosanguinea, a deep blood-red. 



A. Beatonia, a very rich scarlet. 



A. carnea, a beautiful deep flesh-colour. 



A. coccinea splendens, large bright scarlet. 



A. elegans, deep rosy lilac. 



A. formosa, rich purple crimson. 



A. pulchella. 



A. rosea, rich deep rose. 



A. rosea major, large deep rose. 



A. magna superba, large rosy-lilac. 



The above eleven kinds flourish, bloom vigorous and profuse, by the 

 following metiiod of treatment. 



Early in February take the pots that contain the roots of the plants 

 that have flowered the season previous, and carefully remove the sur- 

 face soil till tlie small tubers appear ; then fill the pots up with a 

 compost of peat, liglit loam, and leaf soil, and give the whole a gentle 

 watering ; afterwards place tliem in a fruiting pine-stove or hot-bed 

 frame, the temperature of which is kept from 70' to Ho^of Jieat. Give 

 water sparingly for about ten days, and afterwards more freely, so as 

 to efl^ectually moisten the whole of the soil to the bottom of the pots, 

 M'hich M'ill iiave become very dry from having been kept during the 

 winter without water. 



When the slioots are about three inches higli, turn the balls out of 

 their pots, and carefully break them till you can divide the young 

 shoots. Tiien select tlie strongest, and retain all the roots attached to 

 them, and plant singly into sixty-sized pots, in the same compost as 

 recommended for earthing up, with the addition of one-fiftii fine clean 

 sand. Grow tlie plants in a moist heat and in a slight shade, occa- 

 sionally sprinkling them witli a syringe or the fine rose of a watering- 

 pan. As they advance in growth and fill their pots with roots, fre- 

 quently repot them into a size larger, till finally remove, the strongest 

 plants into sixteens, and the others into twenty-fours, using the same 

 kind of compost, except for the last shifting, at which time give thein 

 pots two sizes larger, and add one-fourth of well-decomposed hot-bed 

 manure, using the other part of the compost more turfy and open. Be 

 particular in draining the pots well at each shifting with jilenty of 

 broken pots, and to the depth of one inch at least at the last potting. 

 Examine them at each removal, and take away any suckers that may 

 appear about their stems, and also two or three of their lowest side 

 branches ; this tends to strengthen the main stem, and encourages tlieni 

 to make fine symmetrical pyramidal heads. After they are well esta- 

 blished, and are beginning to produce flowers, place them, some in a 

 cooler stove, and others in the greenhouse, being careful that they 

 enjoy as much light as possible, which materially enhances the bril- 

 liancy of their scarlet flowers, and adds much to their general lustre. 

 We have had plants so treated two feet high, and the same in dia- 

 meter, forming one mass of beauty and brilliancy. 



Afier tliey have done flowering, gradually withhold water, but do 



