TTTE ^.F^'!^RT^F, FATr^MER. 





TJIK , CiXLK.UiU 



THE CINEEAEI-A. 



r This beautiful plant cannot be overlookecl at this 

 season, flowering as it does so profusely through the 

 winter months, aad looking so cheerful, with its gay, 

 handsome flowers. The came " Cineraria," is derived 

 from Cineres, ashes, in reference to the downy or 

 ashy appearance of the leaves. It belongs to the 

 natural order Asteracecz. and is nearly allied to our 

 common wild Asters or Starwort. 



The plant is generally propagated by offsets, after 

 it has done blooming, which will be in the spring. 

 The pots should be placed in a dry sheltered place, 

 and watered moderately. As soon as the offsets 

 make their appearance and have made two or three 

 large leaves, they should be carefully d-etached, takirkg 

 care not to injure the roots; plant them in small pots 

 in a mixture of good turfy loam, leaf rp.ould and sand, 

 with a little old cow dung; then place th m in a cold 

 frame, and shade them from the light for aboitt two 

 weeks, and then about another week from the bright 

 sunshine, and they will then be well rooted and ready 

 for a shift into larger pots. 



"When they have finished their growth, and the 

 flower sterna hesin to appear, they should be brought 

 as near the light as possible, and if care is taken, all 

 will be well. Should the green fly make its appear- 

 ance on the plants, they may be easily got rid of by 

 smaking with tobacco, taking care not to give them 

 too strong a dose. 



The following list will be found to include nearly 

 all the best varieties in cultivation and may be relied 

 upon: Brilliant, Catherine Hayes, Cerito, Empress 

 Eugenie, Garland, Lady Camoys, Lady Hume Camp- 

 bell, Lord Btamford, Madame Sontag, Mrs. Sidney 

 Herbert, Picturata, Prince Arthur. 



The leaves of plants should invariably be kept 

 clean and free from dust; if they a,r-> not, you cannot 

 expect success in plant-growing. The leaves of a 

 plant are like the limgs of an animal; they must be 

 iept free, or it will die of suffocation. 



TEH VIOLET Alf i) ITS VARIBTIES. 



The Russian violet is certainly one of the most dfc 

 lightful little flowers, and often comes at the most un 

 promising time of the year ; but those who want tv. 

 be always plucking violets should have all the lead 

 ing varieties. The Neapolitan, the double purple, 

 the tree violet, (so ciilled, but we could never sea 

 why, unless a strawberry can be called a tree,) and 

 the Russian, are leading sorts ; and although any 

 one of them may be sufficient for some people, the 

 whole and even more should be grown, because 

 some one or other of the sorts may be brought to 

 flower at all tisses. The violet loves the shade, buf 

 it wants air and its share of water. It can be forced 

 without difficulty in a one light box, either planted 

 or in pots ; and we prefer pots, because they can be 

 regulated in quantity and as to season by bringing 

 in a few at a time, or at all events by a supplj 

 from out of doors. As soon as one lot goes out o! 

 bloom, they can be removed to make way for othera 

 One box full may have slight bottom heat, anothei 

 may have noue, but the sort which is best wcrtb 

 keeping in succession is the Neapolitan, because its 

 blooms are pale blue and very handsome, and there 

 should be always a few of these to bunch up witj) 

 the darker varieties and with the white. There is 

 no flower more manageable. 



Thinning of Fruit often makes all the diffe. enee 

 between a fine crop and none, chiefly becau.^e the 

 crop,- when too thick, does not get all the support 

 it ought to have, and zVi fails together ; whereas 

 by dint of attention and timely thinning the crop 

 to half, or a third, or even a fourth of what there 

 was originally, it would meet with a conx'spiiidiiiglj 

 improved sample, and all saved and ripened well. 

 This should be carried down to goosebenies cud 

 currants. 



By properly checking the growth of a plant, yoi> 

 increase the vigor of its leavea, and size of the fistul 



