THE CYCLAMEN 



WM. BACON, ORILLfA. 



THESE delightful winter and early 

 spring flowering plants have of late 

 vxars been so much improved that 

 we shall scarcely recognize the small, com- 

 paratively insignificant blooms we used to 

 meet with, in the splendid, large, broad- 

 petalled, distinctly colored forms and high- 

 ly scented types of this flower, now so plen- 

 tiful. They are now of a very robust on- 

 stitution, remarkably free blooming, and in 

 every way well adapted to house cultivation, 

 and as house plants have few equals, if any 

 superior. Few flowers respond with such 

 a generous profusion of bloom, to moderate 

 care and cultivation, as does this plant. 

 This fact is impressed upon me more every 



Fig. 2652. The Cyclamen. 



season as I look upon the magnificent array 

 of color, smiling as they stand upon the 

 benches, clean, bright and cheerful, like the 

 refreshing greetings of the sunbeams after 

 dark and dreary days. It gives a thrill of 

 real delight, such as the millionaire cannot 

 abstract from the intrinsic worth of his gold, 

 as we approach them and count, as I did this 

 morning, on one plant nearly 100 perfect 

 blooms, and buds uncountable, nestling at 

 the base of the leaf stems and on the crown. 

 To the ladies, let me say, this attractive and 



very useful plant, flowering from October 

 till August, is very easy to manage, even to 

 growing from seed. Sow in a small box 

 about two inches deep, in a soil of a light 

 nature, press the seed its own depth into the 

 soil with a flat piece of board or shingle, and 

 cover lightly. Place in a temperature of 

 55 degrees or thereabouts, cover with glass 

 for a while in order to keep slightly moist, 

 not wet. After a while lift the glass and 

 keep evenly damp. You will soon see the 

 bulblet appear. 



Then as soon as they have two leaves, if 

 they need more room prick off into another 

 box farther apart, or better still, into small 

 or two inch pots singly. This is the better 

 way, not five or six in a pot. Grow on and 

 give plenty of air, and don't let the hot sun 

 strike them directly, as they are fond of 

 shade, especially in the hot days of the fall 

 ■and spring months. Repot as soon as the 

 roots move well to the pot, and let the soil 

 have a little well decayed manure mixed with 

 it ; drain the pots well. Keep them grow- 

 ing at 55 to 65 degrees and will soon be re- 

 warded with bloom that will surprise you. 



Keep off green fly and thrip. Watch 

 them' closely on the younger leaves, and if 

 they appear, ask a friend who smokes to 

 throw a whiff or two under the leaves and 

 the flies will fall so that you can easily de- 

 stroy them. 



I If you wish to keep your corms till a sec- 

 ond season, don't dry them out to a wither- 

 ing degree, but simply let them rest with 

 sufficient life in the soil to give nourishment 

 to the bulbs in which lies all the vitality for 

 ;a greater abundance of bloom next season. 

 Start them afresh by watering more 'reely 

 any time from August to October, as you 

 may wish them in succession ; also grade th« 

 temperature, as you may wish to keep back 

 or hasten into bloom. 



