THE GESNERACEOUS HOUSE. 129 



and save the seed yourself. Then perhaps there is a 

 better chance of getting more good seedlings from such 

 seed than there is from the seed generally sold. After 

 the plants have spent themselves in flowering allow 

 the bulbs to dry off gradually till they are quite dry ; 

 then keep them so till the early spring, when they 

 may be subjected to a brisk heat, and when signs of 

 growth appear, give them some water carefully, and as 

 soon as an inch of growth is made (if they are in the 

 pots in which they flowered last season), shake them 

 out and the old soil from the roots also, and re-pot 

 them. In tbe case of the real Gresneras the same 

 treatment recommended for the Achimenes may be 

 adopted ; that is, dry them off thoroughly after flower- 

 ing, leaving them in the pots, and keeping the bulbs 

 in a dry and warm place such as the back shelves of a 

 plant-stove where no drip can fall upon the roots. 

 This may be done either in the early or late spring, for 

 these may be started at all seasons from December till 

 May according to the time when they are required to 

 flower. 



In the case of the Gesneras, Achimenes, Plectopo- 

 mas, &c., the dry roots may be shaken out of the soil, 

 moss, &c. in which they have flowered the last season 

 and in which they have been kept during the months 

 of dormancy. The roots should then be planted in fine 

 sifted half-dry leaf-mould one part, maiden loam one 

 part, good peat one part, and silver sand one part, well 

 mixed together. Place the roots thickly in this soil in 

 deep seed-pans and cover them with from one and a 

 half to two inches of the same light soil ; one inch will 

 do for the Achimenes. Set the pans on bottom heat, 

 give no water till they have made an inch of growth, 



K 



