THE CYCLAMEN. 



Fig. 1463.— 



^ p^HESE delightful winter and ear- 

 ly spring flowering plants have 

 ,_L of late years been so much im- 

 proved that we shall scarcely 

 recognize the small, comparatively in- 

 significant blooms we used to meet with, 

 in the splendid, large, broad-petalled, 

 distinctly-colored forms and highly-scent- 

 ed types of this flower, now so plentiful. 

 For this great change we are much in- 

 debted to such men as Mr. Warren, of 

 Isleworth, also a Mr. May of the same 

 place. Each of these growers have low 

 spanned houses, graded in temperature, 

 in St. Margarets, West Middlesex, in 

 which the culture is about the same, but 

 there is a difference in the strain. The 

 old type of the grandiflora family, with 

 its long stems and large flower, has given 

 place, in response to the persistent efforts 

 of these and other London florists, to a 

 dwarf stem of leaf and flower, without 

 any diminution in size of bloom. They 

 are now of a very robust constitution, 

 remarkably free-blooming, and in every 

 way well adapted to house cultivation, 

 and as house plants have few equals, if 

 any superior. Few flowers respond with 

 such a generous profusion of bloom, to 

 moderate care and cultivation, as does 



this plant. This fact is impressed upon 

 me more every season as I look upon 

 the magnificent array of color, smiling 

 as they stand upon the benches, clean, 

 bright and cheerful, like the refreshing 

 greetings of the sunbeams after dark and 

 dreary days. It gives a thrill of real 

 delight, such as the millionaire cannot 

 abstract from the intrinsic worth of his 

 gold} as we approach them and count, 

 as I did this morning; on one plant 

 nearly loo perfect blooms, and buds 

 uncountable, nestling at the base of the 

 leaf stems and on the crown. To the 

 ladies, let me say, this attractive and 

 very useful flowering plant, flowering 

 from October till August, is very easy 

 to manage, even to growing from seed. 

 Get the best strain of seed — Williams' 

 prize strain is even now superseded. 

 Sow in a small box about two inches 

 deep, in soil of a light nature, press the 

 seed its own depth into the soil with a 

 flat piece of board or shingle and cover 

 lightly. Place in temperature of ss'*, or 

 thereabouts, cover with glass for a while 

 in order to keep slightly moist, not wet. 

 After a while lift the glass and keep 

 evenly damp. You will soon see the 

 bulblet appear. 



Then, as soon as they have two leaves, 

 if they need more room prick off" into 

 another box farther apart, or better still, 

 into small or two inch pots singly. This 

 is the better way, not five or six in a pot. 

 Grow on and give plenty of air, and don't 

 let the hot sun strike them directly, as 

 they are fond of shade, specially in hot 

 days of fall and spring months. Re-pot 

 as soon as roots move well to the pot, 

 and let the soil have a little well-decayed 

 manure mixed with it ; drain the pots 

 well, keep them growing at 55° to 65°, 

 and you will soon be rewarded with bloom 

 that will delight you. I like the gran- 



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