Propagatio7i of Greenhouse Exotics. 211 



individuals. Should the plant, at any time, be exposed to the 

 open air, as is not an infrequent occurrence with inhabitants of 

 the greenhouses in summer time, it should be placed in a 

 situation where showers cannot reach to injure the impregna- 

 ting and fertihzing part of the frutification. When the seed is 

 ripe, it will rattle in the seed-vessel or pod, and should be 

 gathered in a perfectly dry state, after which let it be exposed 

 to the air, in a shady place, for a few days, that it may still 

 get further hardened, when it may be put up in separate par- 

 cels, labelled, and put up in a dry place till required for sow- 

 ing, (which time varies according to the object in view.) 

 Spring sowing, however, is the most favorable for all seeds, 

 (except in case of imported ones, a quantity of which should 

 be sown as soon as received,) for sometimes seeds will grow 

 when first received, that will not, if kept a few months longer, 

 and the remainder can be sown with those saved at home ; 

 but spring sowing is preferable to any other season ; the plants 

 get a long season for growth, and consequently must be bet- 

 ter prepared to stand the severity of the coming winter. 



The sized pots I have always been in the habit of using as 

 seed pots, are those of five inches diameter, and three and a half 

 deep, a quantity of which I always get ready previous to the 

 time of sowing. 1 first have them thoroughly washed, out- 

 side and inside, and, when dry, I prepare them in the follow- 

 ing manner : — Over the hole in the bottom of the pot, I place 

 a large piece of broken pot or oyster shell, and over this about 

 an inch of finely broken potsherds, about the size of garden 

 peas ; and then fill my pot to within an inch or so of the top, 

 according to the size of the seeds to be sown, with compost pre- 

 viously prepared, composed of two thirds heath soil, and one 

 third fine friable loam, rather light than otherwise. The sur- 

 face on which the seeds are sown as well as the covering soil, 

 should be sifted very fine. The seeds sown and covered, the 

 whole should be settled with a slight sprinkling of water, from 

 a fine rose watering-pot, when they should be removed to the 

 propagating house, or to a previously prepared hot-bed, when 

 the burning heat is over. Keep the frame-lights pretty close 

 at night, but allow a little air in the middle of fine days, that 

 any rank steam may escape ; the pots should be plunged up 

 to the rims in sawdust, or some such material, and shaded, 



