THE CYCLAMEN. 



diflorum type of the French growers at 

 the present time. Having now on the 

 benches over i,ooo, I am able to see the 

 difference of type in color, form and 

 flowering nature. If you prefer buying 

 a plant already in bloom, you can get of 

 your nearest florist your choice of color, 

 etc., and treat it as I have indicated, 

 taking good care to keep off the green- 

 fly (perhaps its worst enemy), also the 

 thrip — a thin, long, black bug which will 

 quickly destroy the foliage by eating its 

 fleshy underparts. Watch them closely 

 on the younger leaves, and you can easily 

 destroy without the aid of any insect 

 destroyer. If your husband smokes to 

 bacco, ask him to throw a whiff or two 

 under their leaves, and Mr. Fly will soon 

 grow dizzy and fall on top of the pot, 

 then shake him off and destroy. If you 

 try to keep your corms or bulbs to a 

 second or third season, don't dry them 

 out to a withering degree ; but simply 

 let them rest, with sufficient life in the 

 soil to give nourishment to the bulbs, in 

 which lies all the force, energy, or vitality 

 preparing for another and greater effort 

 next season in abundance of bloom and 

 foliage. Start them afresh by watering 

 more freely any time from August to 

 October, as you may wish them in suc- 

 cession ; also grade the temperature, as 

 you may wish to keep back oi hastvin 

 into bloom. By all means try and get a 

 packet of seed of the pure white, heavily 

 scented strain, or a bulb, and you will 

 be delighted. Sow in the house, we 

 would say in the greenhouse, in August, 

 September or October. The cut blooms 

 also you will find lasting and very use- 

 ful. Should any reader like to ask a 

 question, I shall be pleased to give an 

 answer, if able, through these columns. 



I may say this plant has some six 

 species, bearing such names as Cycla- 

 men European (hardy). Cyclamen pu- 

 ' rum (small flowering), Cyclamen gigan- 



thus grandiflorum (large flowers). An- 

 other one is, Alpina asperula (or violet 

 of the Alps), so-called because the Alpine 

 ranges are its native home, but of them 

 all I would advise you to get the Cycla- 

 men giganthus grandiflorum. 



As a rule the cyclamen grows slowly, 

 but for the gardener who will have 

 patience its culture from seed is perhaps 

 surer and easier than that of any other 

 plant of its class. The seeds may be 

 sown any time between September and 

 March, the sower fixing upon it accord- 

 ing to the time bloom is wished from the 

 plants. It takes from twelve to fifteen 

 months from the time the seed is sown 

 to get the most willing cyclamen plant 

 into bloom. The seed-pan, pots, or 

 boxes must be well drained, containing 

 about two thirds rough drainage and 

 one-third light, loamy soil. I have 

 found it a good plan to make this loam 

 rich with well decayed manure from 

 cattle stalls, in order to hurry up the 

 slow growing, little tubers from the very 

 first. If the soil is made quite rich all 

 through the subsequent repottings, con- 

 siderable time may be saved in getting 

 the plants into bloom. 



If the seeds are sown thinly the first 

 usual transplanting may be omitted. It 

 is not necessary to cover them more 

 than an eighth of an inch. The seed- 

 pans should then be set where they will 

 have good light, but no direct sunshine. 

 If the temperature can be kept near 

 60° it will be better for the young 

 plants At the first transplanting, 

 necessary when they are three weeks 

 old unless sown thinly, the seedlings 

 should be set two or three inches apart 

 in boxes of rich soil, or in small pots. 

 When large enough, transfer them singly 

 to five-inch pots. If plenty of water 

 and fertilizers are given they should 

 grow actively all spring and summer. 



The best soil that I have tried for 



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