29S 



THE FLORAL WORLD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



high enough to be liable to be broken. The stakes U3ed may be 

 cut off at the height of about fifteen inches, which will be sufficient 

 for the support of most of the plants ; the flower- spikes will require 

 no support; and if the plants are kept near the glass, and frequently 

 turned round, they, too, will probably need no staking, to cause 

 them to assume the desired form. G. zebrina has a tendency, under 

 high cultivation, to produce flower-spikes at the axils of the leaves, 

 and it will generally form a more showy specimen in this way than 

 if stopping is resorted to ; but when only one plant is used as the 

 foundation of the specimen, it may be advisable to stop once, when 

 about four inches high. 



An occasional watering with clear manure- water will tend very 

 much to promote vigorous growth ; but this will be unnecessary till 

 the plants have pretty well filled their pots with healthy roots. 

 When the blossoms begin to be developed, the plants may be re- 

 moved to the conservatory or greenhouse ; but they must be 

 gradually prepared for the change. Great care should be used to 

 prevent their sustaining any check, and they should be guarded 

 from currents of cold air after their removal. A temperature of 

 from io to 50 c at night will be necessary during the whole of the 

 blooming season, if the plants are expected to increase in size and 

 beauty for some two months together. When they show symptoms 

 of decline, water should be gradually withheld ; and when the 

 foliage and stems die down, the pots should be placed in a situation 

 where they will be free from damp and frost; unless the tubers are 

 well-ripened, they should not be placed in a lower temperature than 

 45°. A rich friable soil is essential to the production of fine specimens 

 of Gesnera. 



I find light sandy turfy loam, rich fibry peat, aad thoroughly 

 decomposed cow-dung, in about equal proportions, adding a sufficient 

 quantity of sharp silver sand, to insure the free percolation of water 

 through the mass, to suit well. The loam and peat need not be 

 broken up into very small pieces : but the dung should be passed 

 through a fine sieve, to catch the worms, which it almost always 

 contains. I ought to state that there are two varieties of Gesnera 

 zebrina iu cultivation, the one having thin, ill-coloured leaves, and, 

 in every way, much inferior to the other ; therefore beginners should 

 take care not to purchase the worthless variety, which, however, is 

 fortunately not very common. 



THE MIRBELIA. 



OST of the species of this genus are of a nice compact 

 habit of growth, forming handsome specimens, and 

 their pretty little flowers are produced very freely ; 

 hence they are well worthy of a place in the most select 

 collections. Some of them are, however, rather diffi- 

 cult subjects to manage; but if proper care is exercised from the 

 first, so as to avoid letting them get into a sickly state, they will be 



