TUBEROUS-ROOTED BEGONIAS. 



position, a north or east aspect being 

 the best — anywhere so that the burning 

 mid-day sun does not strike them, and, 

 if possible, sheltered from sweeping 

 winds. Plants in pots can be stood out 

 of doors in the same position. Watch 

 the plants carefully and put sticks to 

 support them, as the weight of flowers 

 and foliage will often cause them to 

 topple over and break the stem off close 

 to the tubers, thus ruining the plant, 

 perhaps permanently. 



In the fall, about October, after the 

 tops have been slightly touched by 

 frost and before the tubers are touched, 

 take them from the borders, foliage and 

 all if you can ; place them in boxes 

 deep enough, so that the tubers can be 

 covered an inch deep with moist sand ; 

 place the boxes in a dry cool place, 

 free from frost, a temperature ranging 

 from 40° to 45° is best ; if the tubers 

 are in pots, remove pots — foliage and 

 all — in the same way and withhold water 

 gradually until the foliage drops away 

 of itself from the tubers ; then, if ne- 

 cessary, remove the foliage and with- 

 hold water altogether until the following 

 spring, when they will require similar 

 treatment as before recommended for 

 large tubers. 



I prefer keeping the tubers in the 

 pots they grow in, rather than turning 

 them out in the fall, and packing away 

 in cGCoanut fibre, or sand, as often 

 recommended ; as I have had better 

 results by keeping them undisturbed 

 in the pots until spring, having grown 

 and kept the same tubers for ten years 

 with good results. But I would not 

 recommend keeping them, except for 

 cuttings, quite so long as that, as young 

 tubers require less care and give finer 

 flowers than very old ones. 



If these directions are fairly well fol- 

 lowed out, you will be rewarded with a 

 gorgeous display of flowers at a season 



of the year — July to October — when 

 good flowers are rather scarce ; they 

 may possibly require a little more care- 

 ful handling than some plants, but they 

 make ample returns for the care given. 

 A few well grown specimens in pots 

 stood out so that the burning sun does 

 not strike them, or planted out in beds 

 in the same position, to say nothing of 

 a whole bed in full flower, add beauty 

 and brightness to a spot that without 

 them would look barren, perhaps un- 

 sightly. 



I may say that I have been fairly suc- 

 cessful with cuttings taken when the last 

 flowers are dying off the plants in the 

 fall, and treated as recommended before 

 for cuttings ; it is worth a trial, in case 

 of good varieties anyway. 



The only disappointing feature in pro- 

 pagating this begonia is that one can 

 scarcely get flowering results the first 

 season ; but with the aid of a green- 

 house or hotbed, early sowing and 

 good culture, it is possible to flower the 

 tubers, oftentimes early the first season. 



I will conclude this subject by giving 

 in brief, a few leading points to be 

 noticed in the culture of this beautiful 

 and fascinating plant : 



ist. Get a good strain of seed or 

 tubers. 



2nd. Sow and plant carefully. 



3rd. Use good, rich, loamy soil, and 

 pure leaf mould and sand. 



4th. Water well at the roots when 

 established, carefully at other times. 



5th. Don't sprinkle or syringe the 

 foliage at all. 



6th. Give all the air possible. 



7th. Select a cool, shaded position in 

 summer. 



8th. Dry tubers off gradually. 



9th. Keep perfectly dry when once 

 dormant. 



loth. Use good loamy potting soil 

 only, for flowering plants. 



'55 



