CHAP. VII VILLA GARDENING 185 



sowing. Place a square of glass over the toj) of the pot to keep a 

 moist atmosphere around the seeds and render watering less neces- 

 sary. Unless the watering is carefully done, the very small seeds 

 are easily carried down too deep for germination. A good way of 

 watering such things is to dip the pot in a pail of tepid water, but 

 not allowing the water to flow over the top. Sufticient moisture 

 will be imbibed through the bottom and the porous sides of the 

 pot for the wants of the seeds in a very short time. 



Potting. — When the young plants are large enough to handle, 

 prick off into pots or pans an inch apart, and return to the pit, 

 and as soon as their leaves meet in their new position pot off singly 

 into 3-inch pots and shift on as they require it. Turfy loam and 

 leaf-mould will grow them well, and a little peat and sand may 

 be added for choice varieties. Crushed charcoal or charcoal dust 

 is valuable to mix Avith the soil for all this class of plants, but 

 very rich manures should be avoided. The branches will require 

 a little support as they progress. In most cases, one stake in the 

 centre (or as near the centre as it can be inserted, for it must not 

 be thrust into the tuber) will support the whole plant by linking 

 up the shoots with strings of matting, and the jDlants will have a 

 better appearance trained in this Avay than if each shoot is tied 

 up stifily close to a piece of stick. Gather seeds from the best 

 varieties only, and the stock will improve. It is a good plan to 

 place those having the best flowers by themselves, and use the 

 hail- pencil among them. 



Besides the tuberous Begonias there is an older race of that 

 plant very well suited for the greenhouse or conservatory, some 

 of which, including insignis and manicata, are winter bloomers 

 of very great merit. Cuttings of these should be rooted early 

 in spring, and they should be potted on and kept in a close pit 

 till the middle of June, when a little more ventilation may be 

 given. Nice little specimens in 5-inch pots may be grown in one 

 season from cuttings rooted in February. If large specimens are 

 required for any decorative purpose, cut down the old plants and 

 start them from the base again in spring, or, better still, when 

 giving the last shift, put three young plants into a 10-inch pot, 

 and grow on well. This treatment refers more especially to the 

 free-growing kinds, such as insignis, fuchsioides, Ingrami, Weltoni- 

 ensis, Sutherlandi, semperflorens, and others of a like nature. 



The Cyclamen. — -Though usually classed as a greenhouse 

 plant, yet, to Ining out its great decorative qualities properly and 

 make the most of the power which its rapid increase from seeds of 

 late years has placed in our hands, a warm pit or frame (to bring on 

 the plants in their early stages) is needed, in addition to the green- 



