MONTHLY CALENDAR. 603 



Mierit of having contributed largely to the perfection of this flower, by de- 

 fining the properties to be aimed at by the growers. He tells us that the 

 texture of the petals is naturally rough and stripy, the colours naturally 

 dull, and the flower a narrow-petalled star ; so that, unless the petals be 

 very dense and bright in colour, it will be ineffective. " To make a truly 

 fine cineraria," he says, "^we must have a white ground, which renders 

 any coloui-s a good contrast, the most striking being crimsons and blues. 

 The edging should be even, forming an even band of colour alike all 

 round, and having a well-defined circle of white surrounding a disk of some 

 determinate colour. This disk, then, should be white on the ground, dis- 

 tinctly banded with a dense colour of some kind, the greater the contrast 

 "the better ; the disk being small, dark-coloured, or bright yellow ; the petals 

 ■smooth and velvety, — no ribs or pinkers ; the bloom flat and round ; or if they 

 deviate, by cupping rather than reflexing ; the foliage spreading, green, and 

 even ; above which the flowers should form an even surface of bloom, the 

 flowers setting edge to edge, and perfectly circular ; the ends of the petals 

 free from notch, with a distinct edge of colour ; thick at the edge, and the 

 flowers opening flat." 



1551. Rose-Garden. — Perpetual-flowering roses in dry weather require 

 copious supplies of water. If mildew appears, forming white spots on any of 

 'them, syringe the plant with soft water in the evening, and dust the affected 



part with flour of sulphur. Towards the end of the month any roses budded 

 last month may have the bandages removed and the place examined to see that 

 nothing has interfered with the bud, and the bandage restored. Cuttings ot 

 Tea-scented, Noisette, China, Bourbon, and Hybrid perpetuals, may be struck 

 in Ught^andy soil over a gentle hotbed. When rooted, pot off and replace in 

 the frames for a few days till the roots begin to move, when they are to be 

 removed and hardened off. 



1552. The Ayrshire, Boursault, Sempervirens, and other climbing roses, 

 ■frequently send out very luxuriant shoots near the bottom of the stem. These, 

 if not wanted to cover some weak part of the plant, should be removed- 

 Eoses standing in pots should never be crowded, but constantly watered and 

 ikept in a growing state. 



1553. Geraniums may be propagated by thinning out the beds here and 

 there, without much injury to them, and inserted in small beds on a 

 border, putting a little silver sand in the holes made to receive the cuttings. 

 Intermediate stocks should be sown early in the month, and ten- weeks stocks 

 before the middle. All double-flowering perennials done flowering may bo 

 propagated by slips, and parting the roots towards the end of the month, 

 taking up the whole plant, and dividing it into as many separate plants as 

 there are roots with buds, eyes, or stems. Let every root be trimmed by 

 cutting oE the straggling parts or injured roots, picking off all dead leaves, 

 planting them in some shady border, and giving some water. Pyramidal 

 Saxifrage should now be propagated : the offsets rise from the sides of the 

 plant, and may now be taken off and planted either in borders or pots. 



