GROWTH OF BALSAMS 53 



old and dried cow-manure, and leaf-soil, using these materials 

 in the proportions of three, two, and one respectively, adding 

 sand according to the texture of the loam, and sufficient to 

 render the compost porous. Balsams are free feeders, and 

 as they are of a succulent nature they need a great deal of 

 moisture, hence the need of a porous compost and perfect 

 drainage. 



At the first potting the little plants must be placed low 

 in the soil, so that the cotyledons, or seed-leaves, rest 

 on the surface when potting is finished. This serves a 

 double purpose ; the plants are kept from becoming 

 "leggy" at the start and roots speedily form on the part 

 of the stem that is covered. A genial temperature and a 

 position near the glass are necessary until the plants are 

 well established. After a time a further potting will be 

 needed, and as the weather improves less artificial heat 

 will suffice. In May a frame will provide sufficient protec- 

 tion in most seasons, every care being taken to guard against 

 frost and low temperatures. Ventilation must be given in 

 steadily increasing measure, so that by the second week in 

 June the plants will be hardy enough for transplanting in 

 the Flower garden. July is the usual time of flowering, but 

 this depends upon the time of sowing and the method of 

 cultivation adopted. 



The further consideration of Balsams for pot culture is 

 hardly in accord with the scope of the present work. 



In the foregoing remarks the recommendations are for 

 varieties of Impatiens Balsamina {Geraniacece), a species 

 introduced from Tropical Asia as long ago as 1596. The 

 hardy annual species may be sown where they are to flower, 

 or be raised in a seed-bed in a warm position and trans- 

 planted in due course ; but in most seasons the trouble lies 

 not in raising a stock, but in keeping the self-sown seedlings 

 from becoming a nuisance and over-running neighbouring 



