AJTD CONSERVATORY. 259 



eliading of tiffany or hexagon net ; the latter "will also be useful 

 to exclude bees and wasps, for flowers on which bees have 

 settled perish sooner than those they have no access to, owing 

 to their disturbing the pollen, and causing a formation of seed- 

 pods. A method of prolonging the bloom of flowers, and, in 

 the opinion of some, increasing their beauty, is to get some 

 dissolved gum arable and a camel's hair brush. The brush is 

 dipped in, and the centre of every flower touched with gum, 

 where it forms a bright bead, and prevents the distribution of 

 the pollen. Of course the flowers should be touched soon after 

 they open, or jN'ature may have accomplished her end before the 

 preventive is brought into operation. Pelargoniums done 

 blooming should be cut in and allowed to break before repot- 

 ting. They should be kept rather dry, so as to break slowly, 

 and when potted into small pots put in a cold frame, and kept 

 close till they begin to make fresh root, when they must have 

 plenty of light and air. Cinerarias done blooming may be pro- 

 pagated by side shoots and suckers ; if the plants are turned 

 out on a border, and heaped round the collar with sandy loam, 

 they will throw out suckers, which may afterwards be slipped 

 off" with a portion of root attached. The time is now arriving 

 for clearing out the house, and giving it any necessary cleaning 

 and repairs ; and cold frames should be provided in good time 

 to receive those plants that are not to be turned out of their 

 pots for the summer. 



July. — Shift all greenhouse plants required for late bloom- 

 ing, and grow them on to a good size before allowing them to 

 blossom. Cinerarias for winter blooming must have good cul- 

 ture and shifts as required, and cameUias may be shifted if 

 necessary, but if well potted in the first instance they will 

 flourish in the same pots for three seasons in succession, and to 

 overpot them is to do them injury, from which they may never 

 recover. Ericas generally require to be pruned and cleared of 

 seed-pods and dead flowers. Put out all the ventricosas in the 

 open air in a north aspect, and shelter with spare lights during 

 heavy rain. All those with woolly leaves to be put in cold 

 pits, and kept shaded at midday. Any not shifted in the 

 spring cut in at once, and as soon as they bi'eak repot them. 

 Eepot leschenaultias. Every kind of hard- wooded plants may 

 be repotted now if out of bloom. 



