Cyclamen 



COLUMBINE-** AQUILEGIA 

 CYCLAMEN 



Half-hardy perennial 



CYCLAMENS afford a striking example of the advantages of the rapid 

 system of cultivation. Seed may be sown at any time of the year, 

 and the plants will not only flower within twelve months, but if 

 properly grown will produce more bloom than can be obtained from 

 old bulbs. We do not advise more than two or three sowings, the 

 first and most important of which should be made in October or the 

 beginning of November, and to obtain a succession of plants sow 

 again in January or February. The best soil for the purpose is a 

 rich, sound loam, with a liberal admixture of leaf-mould, and sufficient 

 silver sand to insure free drainage. Press this mixture firmly into 

 pots or seed-pans, and dibble the seed about an inch apart and not 

 more than a quarter of an inch deep. Cover the surface with a thin 

 layer of sifted cocoa-nut fibre to check rapid evaporation, and keep 

 the soil free from moss. The autumn sowings may at first be placed 

 in a frame having a temperature of not less than 45. At the end of 

 a fortnight transfer the pans to any warm and moist position in the 

 greenhouse, or propagating house. The January sowing should be 

 placed in heat at once. 



Although the Cyclamen is a tender plant, it does not need a 

 strong heat, and will not endure extremes of any kind. Sudden 

 changes are always fatal to its growth. In winter the temperature 

 should not be allowed to fall below 56, or to rise above 70 at any 

 time. The more evenly the heat can be maintained the better, and 

 it is desirable to give all the light possible. In summer, however, 

 although a warm and humid atmosphere is still necessary, the light 

 may with advantage be somewhat subdued, but shading must not 

 be overdone, or the constitution of the plant will suffer. 



Cyclamen seed not only germinates slowly, but it also grows in 

 the most capricious manner ; sometimes a few plants come up long 

 after others have made a good start. Do not be impatient of their 

 appearance, but when some seedlings are large enough for removal 

 transfer to thumb pots, taking care not to insert them too deeply. 

 As the plants develop, shift into larger pots, ending finally in the 

 48-size, In the later stages mix less sand with the soil, and when 



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