TIMELY TOPICS FOR THE AMATEUR. 



331 



ing- plants such as stevias, g-eraniums, etc., 

 require to be lifted occasionally in this way, 

 when the pots are plung-ed. 



This method of plunging- is usually adopt- 

 ed by florists and nurserymen who grow larg-e 

 quantities of diff^erent kinds of plants in pots 

 during the summer, it saves a great deal of 

 labor and expense in watering, and is better 

 for the plants mentioned than standing them 

 about even in partially shaded positions dur- 

 ing the summer. 



The best method however for those who 

 wish to preserve their plants for perhaps a 

 week or ten days with no attention what- 

 ever, would be to bury the pots completely 

 about an inch under the soil, in some place 

 suitable for the growth of the plants, whether 

 in a shaded position or out in the open 

 ground. 



The plants before mentioned except per- 

 haps the azaleas would be best plunged in a 

 fairly open situation, but palms, cordylines, 

 ficus elastica, aspidistra and similar window 

 and house plants would be best plunged in 

 a partially shaded place. 



If the pots are buried completely under 

 the soil as mentioned, and both the pots and 

 the soil around them given a good watering 

 once, they can be left safely for a week or 

 ten days or perhaps longer and will take no 

 harm. They should be lifted however be- 

 fore heavy rains set in, or the drainage may 

 become choked from worms entering the 

 pots. Plunging the pots in coal ashes ob- 

 viates to a great extent the last named 

 difficulty, as worms will not stay in coal 

 ashes. 



Plants that are in a resting state during 

 the summer, such as pelargoniums (show), 

 amaryllis, bulbous tropeolums, cacti, 

 clivias, etc., should be only plunged to the 

 rim of the pot, in the event of having to 

 leave them uncared for a week or so. This 

 partial plunging will retain moisture suffic- 

 ient to carry the plants through for two 

 weeks, if they are given a good watering 



when leaving, and the plants are plunged in 

 a partially shaded position, as they should be. 



Pot plants often suffer severely at this 

 season of the year if left standing about only 

 for a few days, even if regularly attended to. 

 The process of plunging, etc., as recom- 

 mended will be found very beneficial and 

 save many valuable plants that would other- 

 wise perish from drought when left unat- 

 tended and the pots fully exposed to the air 

 on top of the ground. 



The Greenhouse. — -Watering and syring- 

 ing the few plants that are indoors at this 

 season will be the principal work demanding 

 attention in greenhouse or conservatory, as 

 most of the work done now in preparing 

 plants for winter decorative purposes, will 

 of necessity have to be attended to out-of- 

 doors. 



If herbaceous calceolarias are grown 

 either for the window or greenhouse the seed 

 should be sown this month, and treated in 

 the same way as recommended in last 

 month's issue of journal for cinerarias. Cal- 

 ceolarias like a cool moist atmosphere, and 

 will not be hurried or forced unduly, being 

 slow growing plants. Three parts of rich 

 loam, one part each of sand and leaf soil 

 with plenty of broken pot for drainage suits 

 calceolarias when potting them from the 

 seed pan. Use small pots and pluni'-e the 

 pots to the rim in sand in a cold frame when 

 first potted. Sprinkle plenty of tobacco 

 stems or dust outside the pots. Calceolarias 

 are very liable to be destroyed by attacks of 

 aphis or green fly and this is one reason why 

 so few of them are grown. 



The main batch of freesia bulbs should be 

 potted during August; a few may be kept 

 over for potting in September. Put six 

 bulbs in a 4-inch pot, stand or plunge the 

 pots outside in the open until early frosts 

 threaten. Water them sparingly until 



growth commences to show. 



The accompanying photo taken in Feb- 

 ruary shows, on the right of the picture, a 



