TUBEROUS ROOTED BEGONIAS. 





been grown entirely in a window, or in a 

 sheltered position out of doors, or perhaps 

 in a cold frame. 



The collection of Tuberous Begonias at 

 the O. A. C. was possibly the one feature 

 that attracted the most attention and ex- 

 cited the most admiration amongst the forty 

 or fifty thousand excursionists who visited 

 the college greenhouses during the recent 

 June excursions. The fact of the intense 

 interest shown, and the many questions 

 asked as to the culture of these begonias, 

 has led me to write the following brief notes 

 regarding their care and treatment. The 

 accompanying cut (Fig. 2638), from a 

 rather poor photograph of a group of these 

 plants at the O. A. C, will give some idea 

 of the floriferous habit and the beautiful 

 foliage of the tuberous begonia. 



Selecting Tubers. — Select good, firm, 

 sound tubers ; pulpy or soft tubers seldom 

 produce good healthy plants, even if they 

 grow at all. The best time to procure 

 tubers is when they are dormant and just be- 

 fore they start into growth. Late in March 

 or early in April is about the best time to 

 secure them, as that is the time they start 

 Iheir growth as a rule, after having been 

 kept dormant and dry all the winter. 



Starting Tubers. — Start the tubers in 

 April in small pots. A pot about three 

 times larger in diameter than the tuber will 

 be about the size. Use plenty of small 

 broken pieces of pot or fine gravel stones 

 for drainage in the bottom of the pot, one- 

 third full will not be too much. Use a mix- 

 ture of soil composed of one-third part of 

 fine sharp sand and two-thirds of light, rich 

 loamy potting soil. If soil of a heavier na- 

 ture is used, use fully one-half sand, well 

 mixed with the same quantity of soil. When 

 potted, the top of the tuber should be about 

 on a level with the surface of the soil. Give 

 sufficient water to thoroughly moisten all 

 the soil in the pot, and do not give any more 

 water until the soil shows signs of dryness, 



but do not on any account allow the soil :o 

 become dust dry. Keep the soil barely 

 moist until growth has well commenced, 

 when water can be given a little more freely. 

 Stand the pot in a warm place in the win- 

 dow or greenhouse, but in such a position 

 that the sun does not strike directly on it, 

 especially during the hottest part of the day^ 

 as the sun will scorch the leaves, more par- 

 ticularly if they are damp from recent 

 watering. 



In about three or four weeks from the 

 time of starting the tubers they will proba- 

 bly show a little growth. As soon as the 

 growth has attained to about three inches in 

 height, the tubers will most likely have 

 grown a sufficient supply of roots to allow 

 of the plant being repotted. This can be 

 ascertained by carefully knocking the plant 

 out of the pot to examine the roots. If a 

 good supply of roots has been grown, the 

 plant should be potted on into a pot about 

 two or three sizes larger. A well estab- 

 lished and nicely rooted plant will require a 

 pot fully three sizes larger than the one it 

 was started in. 



Repotting. — In repotting use a little less 

 drainage ; an inch of drainage will usually 

 be sufficient. Good loamy soil, fairly well 

 enriched with dry cow manure and about 

 one-sixth part of fine sand mixed with soil 

 will make a good soil for these begonias to 

 grow and flower in. Press the soil fairly 

 firm around the roots of the plant, being 

 careful not to break the ball of earth 

 around the roots or damage them when re- 

 potting. Water the plant thoroughly once 

 after repotting, and do not give water again 

 until the soil shows signs of dryness. When 

 growth has freely commenced the plant can 

 be watered more frequently, but too fre- 

 quent and too heavy waterings before 

 growth has well commenced, and allowing 

 the sun to strike directly on the foliage, es- 

 pecially after watering, are oftentimes the 

 cause of failure in the culture of begonias. 



