TUBEROUS ROOTED BEGONIAS. 



success, in pots or pans, well drained, 

 first, and filled about half full of loamy 

 potting soil, with a small percentage of 

 sand mixed with it ; then fill the pot up 

 nearly level to the top with propagating 

 sand ; the surplus growth from a large 

 tuber can be utilized for cuttings, as 

 four or five strong shoots is sufficient to 

 leave on an ordinary sized tuber for 

 flowering purposes, taking the weaker 

 ones off for cuttings. 



The method of taking the cuttings, 

 to prove most successful, is to pull or 

 break the growth away from the tuber, 

 for the base of the cutting close to the 

 tuber strikes easier, as it is often already 

 partly callused when taken off; the 

 cuttings can be taken when the growth 

 is about four inches long, about the 

 time the strong shoots show signs of 

 flowering. Pinch the bloom buds, if 

 any, carefully off the cutting ; be very 

 careful not to force the cutting into the 

 sand, or the base of the cutting will be 

 injured, thus preventing it from cal- 

 lusing and rooting ; put the cutting in 

 the sand so that its base is just above 

 the top of the soil and in the sand, 

 about half way down the pot. Water 

 well once, never allowing the sand to 

 get really dry ; I find it is the best plan 

 to allow rooted cuttings to grow on in 

 the pot, or box, they have been propa- 

 gated in until the foliage shows signs 

 of decay when withhold water gradu- 

 ally until the foliage has decayed en- 

 tirely, when the box or pot, with the 

 foliage left undisturbed, can be stood 

 away in a cool dry place ; a tempera- 

 ture of 40 or 45 will be suitable ; but 

 if very vigorous they can be grown on 

 in small pots to winter in, where they 

 can in either case remain until the fol- 

 lowing spring, when the young tubers 

 can be taken carefully out of the sand 

 or soil and started into growth in the 



same way as recommended for large 

 ones. 



Of course the size of the young tuber 

 necessitates a slight difference in hand- 

 ling, and even more care than the large 

 ones. I have been very successful in 

 starting them in the spring in the same 

 box they were propagated in, but this 

 requires care, as the tuber cannot be 

 seen so deep down in the pot. 



The after culture is similar to that 

 for large tubers, only that the pots used 

 must be smaller, probably at first 2^ 

 inch pots will be large enough ; these 

 young tubers can easily be re-potted as 

 required into larger pots, until showing 

 signs of flowering. The soil should 

 have a larger percentage of sand in the 

 first potting than that recommended for 

 the large tubers, or instead of putting 

 into larger pots, the young plants may 

 be planted out about the second or 

 third week in June, in beds or borders, 

 in a partially shaded position and in 

 loamy soil. 



I omitted to mention that the cuttings 

 when first started require a warm situa- 

 tion, and not exposed fully to the sun. 

 One advantage in propagating from cut- 

 tings is the certainty of securing a plant 

 similar to the original, which is not 

 often the case when propagated from 

 seed. 



The cultivation of this begonia from 

 seed is possibly the method that will 

 most commend itself to an enthusi- 

 astic amateur, not only because one is 

 kept on the tiptoe of expectancy and 

 uncertainty, from the time of sowing the 

 seed until the first flowers have fully ex- 

 panded into full beauty, but because 

 there are no difficulties that cannot be 

 overcome by care and watchfulness in 

 the first stages of growth, and that are 

 necessary with all small seeds. To se- 

 cure satisfactory results, use a seed pan, 



153 



