332 THE PRINCIPLES OF FLORICULTURE 



tablished, a temperature of 55 to 60 may be maintained. 

 Care should be taken after potting that too much water 

 is not given the plants, for it causes stems to decay at their 

 base. They should be given a light, airy house, but when 

 the flower buds begin to form, shade should be applied to 

 the glass, and they should be brought into bloom under 

 partial shade. This makes a better coloring of the flowers 

 and also increases their keeping qualities. The plants 

 should be re-potted when necessary, and by the first of 

 June they should be in their flowering pots. 



The tuberous-rooted begonias, after becoming well es- 

 tablished in three and one-half-inch or four-inch pots, 

 may be planted out of doors for summer bedding, and are 

 very beautiful when placed in a partially shaded and 

 protected spot. The flowers are greatly injured by high 

 winds and heavy rains, also by intense sunlight. They 

 should not be put into the ground until the first of June, 

 or after the soil has become thoroughly warmed. 



498. The Rex or foliage begonias. The Rex begonias 

 are grown principally for their foliage characters. They 

 show a wide variation in coloring, and are excellent for 

 summer window-boxes in protected places, also for con- 

 servatory ornamentation. They are more attractive in 

 the summer than at any other time of the year. 



Habitat. India and southern China. 



499. Propagation. Rex begonias are mostly propa- 

 gated from leaf-cuttings but may be grown from shoot- 

 cuttings. When large numbers are desired, well matured 

 leaves are selected, and sections, each with a strong-veined 

 part, are cut from the base of the leaf and placed in sand 

 in the propagating bed, where they have strong bottom- 

 heat. The roots form quickly, and small plants soon 

 develop from the base of the cuttings. The cuttings 



