<17fl M» THE CULTIVATION* OK LOBELIAS IN PUXS. 



ARTICLE V. — On the Cultivation of Lobelias in Pots. 



The whole tribe of Lobelias are delightfully interesting, although 

 the greater part of them are plants of humble growth. The spe- 

 cies. I have cultivated are L. fulgens, I,, splendens, L. eardinalis, 

 and L. sipiiilitica. The J., cardiualis has long been an esteemed 

 flower in our gardens ; the that and second species are of modern 

 introduction ; and the last species have long been cultivated in our 

 gardens. The whole tribe are readily propagated either by seeds, 

 suckers, or cuttings ; but I prefer raising them from suckers, 

 which I take off from the old plants in the regular way in October. 

 Afterwards they are planted one in each small pot, and put into a 

 cold frame till the end of January, when the}' are removed into a 

 Melon or Cucumber frame, where the heat is kept up to 6-5 cleg, 

 of Fahrenheit by the aid of hot dung. A Pine stove, of the same 

 temperature, will suit them equally as well as the frame, provided 

 they are not kept too far from the glass, so as to draw them up 

 weak, which would greatly injure them for blooming. Towards 

 the end of Februarv, they are shifted, with their balls as entire as 

 possible, into pots a size larger; and early in April, they are again 

 repotted into larger pots ; and towards the end of May, they are 

 shifted a third time ; — the pots I use for this last shifting are 12s. 

 As soon as the plants have got well established in the last-men- 

 tioned pots, they are removed into a greenhouse, in which they 

 continue till they flower, and are hardy enough to bear the open 

 air. When they are preparing to throw up their flowering stems, 

 and during their growth, they are kept very moist by putting pans 

 under the pots, and keeping them constantly filled with water. If 

 the plants are managed as already detailed, they will begin to 

 flower in July, and the spikes will continue to grow, and will be 

 covered with flowers through the autumn. The compost I use 

 consists of equal parts of yellow loam and of le.if-mould, to which 

 is added sand equal to one-fourth of the previous composition : 

 before used, the whole is well mixed together. Specimens cul- 

 tivated in the above manner have been exhibited at various Flori- 

 cultural Meetings, which have had spikes of magnificent flowers 

 Iout feet in height. When the plants throw up only one spike of 

 flowers, the end is pinched off while young, which will cause 



