TIMELY TOPICS FOR THE AMATEUR. 



'59 



Fig. 1785. Tea Roses. J G«dhy. Pi-to 

 Souvenir d'Wooton. Perle des Jardins. Bridesmaid. 



thrown out altog'ether, as they g'ive poor re- 

 .sults under the best of treatment after hav- 

 hig- been forced. Tuberous beg-onias should 

 be kept g-rowing- in a cool temperature. 



Old plants of double flowerings primulas 

 (especially Sinensis alba plena) may be di- 

 vided, and if young roots can be obtained 

 on the divisions, as is often the case, they 

 can be potted at once into 2^4 or 3 inch pots 

 in light soil. Water thorougfhly and shade 

 the plants well until established ; a tempera- 

 ture of 60 to 75 will suit them verj' well. 

 Cuttings of these plants can be rooted readily 

 in sand, if kept in a temperature as before 

 stated, and kept well shaded and watered. 



Rex begonias may be propag^ated very 

 easily now from old leaves of these plants. 

 There is still time for cuttings of winter 

 flowerings Begfonias if started at once. 



Re-pot young- chrysanthemums, never al- 

 lowing the pots at this stag^e to be over- 

 crowded with roots. 



Balsam, aster, zinnia and similar seeds 

 may be sown. 



Transplant early sown annuals, etc., as 

 required, and g-radually introduce them to a 

 lower temperature, but not until they have 

 become established after transplanting- ; 

 this rule applies gfenerally to almost all 

 plants after transplanting-. 



Sow nasturtiums, ricinus (castor oil bean) 

 as required, one seed of the latter in a 3 inch 

 pot, and two or three seeds of nasturtium 

 in the same sized pot ; they will g-row on in 

 these until wanted for vases and beds, and 

 can be easily hardened off before planting- 

 outside, sown in this way. 



Cinerarias and herbaceous calceolarias 

 should be pitched on the rubbish heap as 

 soon as they are out of flower, as they are 

 of no further use, only as a nursery and 

 parade g-round for g^reen fly, of which, as a 

 rule, there are plenty at this season of 'the 

 year without providing- nurseries for more. 



Azaleas should be re-potted when out of 

 bloom if they require it ; use plenty of drain- 

 ^&*^> I'^ht soil packed firm, keep in a tem- 

 perature of 60° to 75 for a few weeks, water 

 at the roots liberally when required, and 

 syring^e daily. 



Fancy and zonale pelarg-oniums should 

 be well in flower by this time. The fancy 

 varieties are very subject to attacks of g-reen 

 fly, and should have been well fumig-ated 

 whilst g-rowing-, and as fumig-ation when in 

 flower injures the bloom, fumig-ate lig-htly, 

 if at all. Syringing these plants when in 

 bloom is not desirable for the same reason. 



The youngf fronds of ferns, especially the 

 Maiden Hair varieties, also spireas, helio- 

 trope, mig-nonette and coleus, among-st 

 others, are very easily injured by heavy 

 fumig-ations ; lift the plants on to the floor, 

 or cover with newspapers before fumig-ating-. 



Damp the floors frequently, syringfe fu- 

 chsias, lantanas, etc., every day if the wea- 

 ther is suitable, this will help to keep down 

 the red spider. 



