ON THE CULTURr. OF CALCEOLARIAS. 175 



noticed skilful gardener. Another advantage is, that in raising 

 them from cuttings and through the dark damp days of winter, 

 thev are much less liable to damp off than the former class. Some 

 may object, perhaps, that they are not so rich in variety of colour- 

 ing ; but I can assure all such that if they could but see the splen- 

 did varieties which I had the pleasure of naming, raised by my 

 respected friend, Mr. Major, Landscape Gardener, Knowstrop, 

 near Leeds, they must acknowledge at once, that for brilliancy of 

 colour, elegance of shape, and neatness of foliage, no plants of any 

 class can surpass them. 



Afraid, however, of trespassing too far on your interesting pages, 

 I now proceed to the propagation of this class of Calceolarias. I 

 stated above that they may be propagated by cuttings, and some- 

 times by seed. 



By Cuttings. — The best season for taking off the cuttings, with 

 reference to planting them out in flower-gardens is in August, 

 though they may be struck successfully during any of the spring 

 or summer months. Make up a slight hotbed (where no better 

 convenience can be had ) and when of a proper temperature, cover 

 the dung over with either sand or sifted coal-ashes, and then prepare 

 the cutting pots, in the same way as for the herbaceous species. Take 

 on" the cutting from three to four inches long, turn off a leaf or two at 

 the bottom of each cutting, and insert them with a small dibble in the 

 centre of each pot. When room is scarce, take pots six inches 

 wide at top, fill up two-thirds with broken potsherds, and the top 

 with very sandy light loam, place the cuttings eight or ten in each 

 pot round the edges, and place them on the ashes in the frame, 

 shading and watering when necessary ; as soon as they are rooted, 

 pot them off singly into small pots, and manage them the same as 

 to watering, re-potting, and hardening off, as before detailed. 



By Seed. — When it can be obtained from this shrubby class, it 

 must be managed exactly as for the former class. 



I now come to the Soil or Compost most suitable for those plants. 

 I have found the following will grow and flower them the best of 

 any I have tried. Turf taken from a dry pasture, three or four 

 inches iliick, one half rotten leaves, and dung one fourth, and 

 In atli-iiiould one fourth. The turf should be well chopped, and 

 all worms, dogs, ^rubs, and wirewornis, carefully lOUghl for and 

 -I' boyed 6fMrj time it is turned, which should he done until all 



