THE CINERARIA HOUSE. 135 



No stopping of the growth must be done to Cine- 

 rarias with a view to produce offsets. They will not 

 bear the stopping of the flower scapes ; therefore those 

 who want to produce plants in this way had better let 

 the plants flower as they will, and when the signs of 

 flowering begin to decrease remove them from the 

 house to a cold shady pit or frame, where probably a 

 greater inducement will be given them to produce off- 

 sets. As soon as these appear, which spring from the 

 surface of the pot, close to the stems, and when they 

 are large enough, take them off with a root if possible 

 attached to each, and pot them into three-inch pots in 

 a compost of one half fine sifted leaf-mould, and one 

 half maiden loam with a little sand added, and then 

 set them in a shady cool pit or frame, giving them 

 some water. These must be shifted into six-inch pots 

 as soon as the small pots are filled with roots, and then 

 they may be continued in the frame or pit, giving an 

 abundance of air both night and day. Or they may be 

 set on ashes under a north wall till October, when they 

 must be placed in the house. If extra fine plants are 

 required they should be shifted into eight-inch pots at 

 once from the small ones. 



Seedlings must be raised from seed sown annually 

 in June in seed-pans or under hand-lights in a shady 

 border, and in soil as described above ; potted off as 

 soon as they have made six or eight leaves, and treated 

 in the same manner as for the offset plants, frequently 

 syringing them all along through the summer, and 

 continuing it daily till they are in flower. This is the 

 secret of growing the Cineraria free from insects, mil- 

 dew, &c. which are so often complained of. Nothing is 

 required to keep them clean and healthy but daily 



