BEGONIA 



141 



7- 



roots, the latter frequently rising some distance out of 

 the f^round : rather coarse-grained. Extensively grown 

 for stock-feeding. 



3. Sugar Beets. Sometimes said to belong to another 

 species, but doubtless to be classified here. Rather 

 small-growing varieties, with medium tops : roots 

 small to medium, usually fusiform, smooth, nearly 

 always yellowish or whitish. 



4. Chard, or Swiss Chard. Varieties with compara- 

 tively large tops, broad leaf-blades and very large, suc- 

 culent leaf-stems, which are cooked and eaten somewhat 

 like asparagus. The thrifty, tender young Ivs. make a 

 very excellent pot-herb. Chard has .sometimes been re- 

 ferred to a separate species. Beta Cicla, but should be 

 included with B. vulgaris. See Chard. 



5. Foliage Beets. A race which has been developed 

 to produce luxuriant foliage of many colors and varied 

 markings. Of such varieties are the Brazilian, Chilian, 

 Victoria, and Dracsena-leaved. The ribs of the Ivs. are 

 usually beautifully colored. Where the leaf-blight fungus 

 is not serious, these foliage Beets make excellent bor- 

 ders where strong and heavy effects are desired, and 

 they are excellent for bedding. Raised from seeds, as 

 other Beets are ; roots may be kept over winter. 



The Beet is not often damaged by insects. It is 

 sometimes attacked by rust, rot, spot-diseases, and 



scab, of which the last is the worst. The scab is the 

 same disease which attacks the potato, and one of the 

 chief precautions is, therefore, to avoid following pota- 

 toes with Beets. For the most part, clean culture and 

 proper rotations will forestall serious injury from plant 

 diseases. Spraying with Bordeaux mixture may be ex- 

 pected to prevent the leaf diseases. p a t\7 



BEGONIA (named after M. Begon). BegonkUea. 

 Elephant's Ear. Beefsteak Geranium. A large ge- 

 nus of very pcipulcir and useful plants for the house, 

 conservntnrv nml t-nr.lpii. Sn.'nnlent herbs or under- 



shrubs, 1l: , : .. ■ I in ^onii- r,'i-cs r'Tlia-ed to a thick 



rhizome. I ■ .i-: • im t ^ui.ill tui>ri-, while a few 



others jH,- :: ~ .:r. in wlmli there are a num- 



ber of c1u-l1., >' I ^Lulu- ur su;ipre~^ed Ivs., resembling 

 bulbs : Ivs. variable, alternate, more or less unequal- 

 sided, entire, or lobed, or toothed, ovate-acuminate, or- 

 bicular or peltate : fis. usually in axillary cymes, monoe- 

 cious, large ; males usually with 4 petals, females with 

 5 (rarely 2), pink, white, rose, scarlet, yellow, and all 

 shades of these, beingrepresented ; stamens numerous ; 

 filaments free or united at the base ; styles 2 or 4. free, 

 sometimes connate ; stigmas branched or twisted like a 

 corkscrew : fr. usually a 3-winged capsule, which is 

 often colored ; ovary inferior ; seeds numerous, very 

 minute. The first Begonia was introduced into England 

 in 1777. Since then, out of the 350 species known, about 

 150 have proved of value to the horticulturist. Few 

 other plants have been improved so rapidly, there being 

 thousands of varieties now in cult., displaying the most 

 gorgeous colors in their fls. and beauty and coloring 



in their Ivs. Their geographical distribution is very dis- 

 junctive and localized. They are indigenous to Mex., 

 Cent, and S. Amer., Asia, and S. Afr. They seem to 

 have no genetic relationship with other plants now 

 living. For literature, see Dryander, The Genus Be- 

 gonia, Trans, of the Linn. Soc, Vol. 1, 17S9 ; Klotzsch, 

 Begoniaceen-Gattungen uud Arten, 12 plates, 1855 ; De- 

 Candolle's Prodromus, 15, 18()4; Ravenscroft, B.C., Be- 

 gonia Culture for Amateurs, 1894 ; Wynne, Tuberous 

 Begonias. 



The Begonias now in cult, may be roughly divided 

 into four sections or groups : 



I. Fibrous-rooted, or Winter-flowering. 



Nos. 1-71. 

 II. Semi-tuberous, or Socotrana. 



Nos. 72-76. 



III. Tuberous, ok SusfMER-FLOwERiNo 



Nos. 77-99. 



IV. Rex, OB Obnamental-leaved. 



Nos. 100-103. 



There are four sections of the Begouia family, and as 

 each requires somewhat different directions for their 

 cultivation, it is desii-ihie to tre;it tliem separately. The 

 first section, the Kihiou^-r""t.Ml. e,.iiiprises such varie- 

 ties as B. nitKhi, N. /,//.! ,//"/. /rs, var. gigantea rosea, 

 iilbo-pieta, Haiiiiiuiht. -.iuA J>ii,l,,i lini. Cuttings taken 

 from clean, healthy stems will strike readily in an ordi- 

 nary propagating box or bench, and if potted-on, as 

 they require root-room, will make flue plants for late 

 winter- and spring-tlowering. As soon as one neglects 

 good treatment, especially in regard to light, fresh air 

 and fresh soil, the red spider, a physiological disease 

 appearing like rust, and the dreaded nematodes, will 

 soon attack them and give them a sickly and stunted 

 appearance. They require a temperature of from 55-00° 

 at night and 65-70° in the day time. The plants should 

 be kept close to the glass during the early stages of 

 their growth, on account of the tendency of many of the 

 varieties to send out rather long shoots. A compost of 

 3 parts good loam, 1 part well-rotted manure, and 1 

 part sand, will be found very suitable for their growth. 

 While Begonias in general are injured by too strong 

 sunshine during summer, they are Iieueflted by all the 

 sunshine they can get diirinLrtlie winter and e.trly spring 

 months. Strong suiisliiii'-. h"\viv.r. iiMuriiii.' tlir.niL'h 

 imperfect glass upt->n \^ i r t.'li:iL'\ i^ ;i!'r to l-livt-r the 

 leaves of any Beguiii:i. >ii.-], \ .inru, ■.:,-;:, /i,-. <r • :i]u\ 

 Weltoniensis.\yhii-h],V'\n.,^ at ilirii- I, ,■,.,,■, thiri,,ne, I, 

 fleshy stem like :i i^.taiM. mav li^' |iiM|i;.i:ii < .! . ,i li. i In 



■irgijros 



longing to thi^ 

 make excellent 

 rubra, specula! 

 heraciei folia. 

 The second 

 such Begonias 



n, the Semi-tuberous, comprises 

 Socotrana and Gloire de Sceaux. 

 They require irreater care, and should be grown in a soil 

 with eoii^jderalilN- more leaf -mold and a temperature of 

 65-70 iM the .laytinie and 60° at night. Of Gloire de 

 Sceau\ and oihi r liybrids, plants 2 years old will be 

 fouud liest for de'.'orative purposes. 



The third section, the Tuberous Begonias, are grown 

 in pots, boxes or baskets, under glass, or as bedding 

 plants in a shaded border. If the plants are intended 

 for pot culture in the greenhouse, it is best to use the 

 tubers. For early flowering, start the tubers in February 

 orMarch, either in small pots or shallow boxes. The soil 

 maybe composed of loam, sharp sand and leaf -mold, and 

 the temperature about 60°-65°. When the plants are 

 ready for repotting, well-rotted manure may be added, and 

 when the roots have taken a fresh hold a cooler tempera- 

 ture may be maintained. For bedding purposes, seed- 

 ling plants, as well as tubers, may be used, providing they 

 are of a first-class strain. Tubers are preferred if early- 

 flowering plants are desired. They bloom more abun- 

 dantly in the early part of the season, as they have the 

 strength of the already formed tubers. Plant in the mid- 



