THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 205 



the flowers should be carefully shaded from bright sunshine as their 

 beauty soon fades unless this is attended to. After flowering, the 

 shoots must be cut back, tbe plants repotted, etc., as already recom- 

 mended, taking care, however, not to over-pot, and, with careful 

 attention, large handsome specimens will be obtained in the course 

 of a few years. The only suitable soil for this genus is good, light, 

 rich turfy peat, which should be broken up rather fine, and well 

 intermixed with about one-fourth its bulk of clean silver-sand, and 

 a small portion of lumpy bits of charcoal. 



BEGONIA FTJCHSIOIDES. 



jjMONG- many favourites of our plant-houses, few are 

 more deserving of attention than the Fuchsia-like 

 Begonia. Its graceful habit, the brilliant colour of the 

 flowers, the short time required to have plants in a 

 blooming state, render it worthy of universal culti- 

 vation. To those with whom winter-flowering plants are in demand, 

 this Begonia will be found indispensable, and when well-grown and 

 bloomed, it cannot fail to be generally admired. 



I aim at having the plant in flower the whole, or, at least, the 

 greater part of the year ; and to secure this, it is necessary to pro- 

 pagate at two different seasons. In the first instance, cuttings are 

 obtained in the beginning of February, selecting healthy pieces, such 

 as are not over full of sap, and which are rather firm ; these strike 

 freely, inserted rather thickly around the sides of five-inch pots, and 

 plunged in a close, warm frame, where the bottom-heat is about 

 75° or S0°. Any light sandy soil will answer. I generally use 

 equal parts of silver-sand and leaf-mould, the latter passed through 

 a fine sieve, and thoroughly mixed with the sand. "When the 

 cuttings are well rooted, which will be the case in the course of a 

 month, they should be potted singly in five-inch pots, and replaced 

 in the propagating frame, and if they can have the assistance of a 

 gentle bottom heat all the better. When the pots become filled 

 with roots, shift into eight-inch ones, and place the plants in a shady 

 corner of the stove, or wherever it may be convenient, provided a 

 temperature of from C0° to G5 Q is maintained, and a moist atmo- 

 sphere is kept up ; but unless they occupy a shady situation, it will 

 be necessary to screen them from the mid-day suu, as this species is 

 rather impatient of bright sunshine; and if thus exposed, it loses 

 that fine, glossy appearance which the foliage presents when in 

 vigorous health. 



When pots become filled with roots, a little clear manure water 

 will be beneficial, and they should be syringed with pure water, 

 morning and evening. By the middle of June they will require a 

 final shift into tliirtecn-iiich pots, and should be encouraged to make 

 vigorous growth. With regard to stopping, they merely require to 

 have any over-luxuriant shoot stopped when it has attained the 



July. 



