216 Subtropical Gardening. 



deep, and with a free bottom, it generally thrives very 

 well, if a foot or so of rich and rotten manure is placed 

 beneath its roots. In some seasons it would here and 

 there ripen seeds, and in all cases one could gather a few 

 heads of " green corn." In warmer countries it is always 

 best to sow maize in the open ground as soon as the 

 frost permits ; but in England it is better to raise it on 

 a gentle hotbed in April, although occasionally it will 

 succeed if sown out of doors. Gradually harden off the 

 plants before they have made more than three or four 

 little leaves, keeping them in a cool frame very near the 

 glass, so as to keep them sturdy, and finally exposing 

 them in the same position by taking the lights quite off. 

 This course is perhaps the more desirable in the case of 

 the variegated maize. In neither case should the plants 

 be drawn up long in heat, as, if so, they will not thrive 

 so well. The first few leaves the variegated kind makes 

 are green, but they soon begin to manifest that striping 

 which makes it as attractive as any variegated stove- 

 plant we grow. Cuzko and Caragua are the largest and 

 finest of the green varieties, and gracillima the smallest 

 and most graceful of all the varieties of maize. They 

 should be planted out about the middle of May. 



The variegated or Japanese maize is a very remarkable 

 and handsome variety, found by Mr. Hogg in Japan that 

 great country for variegated plants. Its beautiful varie- 

 gation is reproduced true from seed, and it is almost an 

 indispensable plant in the flower-garden, not growing so 

 vigorously as the green kinds. It is particularly useful 

 for intermingling with arrangements of ordinary bedding- 



