AUGUST. 373 



chosen must be of the best possible form, clear colors and 

 marking, as much depends on this in producing new and 

 first rate varieties. When this is done, some secluded place 

 in the garden should be selected, to keep them entirely apart 

 from any inferior varieties, from which the bees would fertil- 

 ize them, and produce muddy, unsightly flowers, instead of 

 clear and well-defined colors. When the seeds are ripe, sow 

 immediately in some shady place ; and as soon as large 

 enough, prick off thinly into pans or wide pots, and keep 

 close for a few days, until they are properly established, when 

 they may be removed to the open air until large enough to 

 place in single pots. Should large plants be required, they 

 should be stopped when about two or three inches high. As 

 soon as the seeds are gathered, the old plants should be cut 

 down, or partly so, as in many instances the crowns of the 

 plants rot if cut too close to the surface. Now that they are 

 cut down, remove them to some shady place (a north border 

 being preferable.) until they throw up young shoots, when 

 they should be potted into larger pots, in a light compost, or 

 planted out in the open ground in a light soil, where they 

 will give strong cuttings, and from these only can good 

 specimens be obtained. When they have grown about an 

 inch or two, remove the cuttings, and place them in a com- 

 post prepared for the purpose — composed of equal parts of 

 loam, leaf-mould, and silver sand, taking care to well drain 

 the pots with potsherds. When rooted (which will be in 

 abt>ut a fortnight,) pot off into thumbs or small 60s, in a nice 

 light soil. 



Should first rate plants be wanted, every care will now 

 be required to keep them in a growing and healthy condition, 

 to which end they should be shifted every few weeks, until 

 they receive their final potting, which should be about Jan- 

 uary. Every care should be taken that they do not get pot- 

 bound in the small pots, as that will throw them into a bloom- 

 ing state immediately. 



The compost we would recommend for exhibition pur- 

 poses, and for large plants generally, would be two parts of 

 good turfy loam, and equal parts of well-decomposed cow 



