74- THE amateub's greenhouse 



After the pots are filled with roots, water with liquid manure, 

 if convenient to do so ; but if not, be content with watering 

 with clear soft water. They must not, under any considera- 

 tion, be allowed to sufiier for want of water, and in dry weather 

 an occasional sprinkle overhead will be of immense benefit. 

 They should be taken to the conservatory as soon as they 

 begin to show colour, and placed in an airy, open position, if 

 practicable. 



The best for pot culture are the varieties of the Dwarf 

 Chrysaiithemum-fioicered and Ptxony -flowered, which seldom 

 exceed a height of twelve inches, and require little or no 

 support. The most distinct varieties are those with rose, 

 carmine, violet, and pure lohite flowers. 



AsTiLBE. — The well-known Astilhe Japonica, which is, per- 

 haps, better known as " Spiraea Japonica," is eminently valuable 

 to furnish greenhouse flowers early in the spring, though it is 

 a cheap hardy herbaceous plant. When forced slowly in a 

 damp pit, close to the glass, it is one of the loveliest plants in 

 the world, and well worthy to be made a feature of in any 

 private garden where beautiful plants are valued by some 

 other scale than their money value in the market. They 

 should be potted in September or October, in a mixture of 

 turfy loam, leaf mould, decayed manure, and sand, and started 

 in a temperature of about 5.5°. From this allow the tempera- 

 ture to rise gradually to 75°. They should be supplied libe- 

 rally with water when growing freely, and may be placed in 

 pans of water to advantage. It is a matter of no consequence 

 what sized pot is employed, but for ordinary decorative purposes 

 five-, six-, and eight-inch pots will be most serviceable ; the two 

 former for the drawing-room jardinets, and the latter for the 

 conservatory. Strong clumps ready for forcing may be pur- 

 chased at nurseries and seed-houses, those who prefer grow- 

 ing them for forcing in after years may do so with but little 

 trouble. Early in May or June they may be planted out in 

 an open quarter previously well prepared for their reception. 

 They should have two or three liberal waterings and a mulch 

 of short litter, or partly decayed leaves, placed between the 

 rows, if it can be spared. They will then require no other 

 attention, and by the autumn will have formed strong crowns 

 and be in grand condition for forcing. If considered desirable, 

 they may be divided into single crowns in May, each of which 



