174 ON THE CULTURE OF CALCEOLARIAS. 



spring in a gentle heat, and when advanced three or four leaves, 

 take a sharp knife and separate each shoot carefully, plant them 

 singly in very small pots in sand, and well drained, replace them in 

 heat, and as they advance in growth re-pot about three times, into 

 larger pots each time ; after the last potting, place them in cold 

 frames facing the south, upon a bed of coal-ashes three inches 

 thick, to prevent worms and snails from annoying them. Open 

 the frames by drawing off the lights every day, when the weather 

 is mild, and water freely in dry weather, but as much as possible 

 without wetting the leaves. To prevent them from damping off, I 

 have found it useful to cover the surface of the mould with small 

 sand stones about the size of garden peas. 



When it is wished to increase by seed, procure some wide 

 shallow pots, fill them two-thirds with broken pots, and the rest 

 with very fine sandy light compost ; sow the seeds upon the sur- 

 face, press it gently down with a flat piece of wood, and water with 

 a fine syringe, or the fine rose of a watering pan, placing them in 

 heat, and shading when the sun shines, and watering when the 

 surface appears rather dry ; they will soon be up, and while they 

 are small, it is the best time to transplant them. Take them into 

 the potting shed, and having ready some pots well drained and 

 filled with very light sandy compost, take a broad pointed knife and 

 cut the soil in the pots in a vertical manner, much the same as 

 the soil for bog edging is prepared, then raise up some plants care- 

 fully, breaking as few roots as possible, and place them against the 

 ed^e of the little vertical bank from half an inch to an inch and a 

 half asunder, press the soil to them, and proceed to do so row by 

 row until the pot is full, place them in the heat until they require 

 potting again, which will be in about a month or so. Pot them off 

 singly in small pots, and manage them the same as described 

 above for the divisions of the old plants. 



Beautiful as are a great many of the herbaceous class of this 

 interesting genus, and desirable as they are to every lover of 

 flowers, yet as an ornament for both (he green-house and flower- 

 garden, the shrubby species and varieties are, in my opinion, much 

 to be preferred, and for several reasons. In the first place, this 

 class is generally much hardier and more free of flowering, espe- 

 ciaHy in the flower-garden ; and, secondly, they are more easily 

 managed by amateurs who have not the assistance of an expe- 



