32 



THE FLORISTS MANUAL. 



months and the flowers are generally 

 double while the plant is always orna- 

 mental. They are propagated in sand 

 during the winter months, and during 

 April and May, if properly shaded and 

 watered, they root quickly. Any part 

 of the shoot or stem will root except 

 that which is hard or woody. During 

 summer they are best kept under glass 

 but should have an abundance of air 

 and not too dense a shade. A close, 

 damp, dark house will produce a rust 

 on the leaves of many of them, which 

 is hard to overcome, spoiling the leaf 

 as well as flower. 



There are so many species and varie- 

 ties that but a few can be enumerated. 



Fuchsioides: A tall growing, grace- 

 ful species with scarlet flowers. 



ers are of no particular value, not be- 

 ing produced in sufficient quantity to 

 be profitable. Manicata aurea, is, how- 

 ever, a most desirable plant and I have 

 yet to see any place or firm who have 

 had an over supply. Like most varie- 

 gated plants it is of much slower 

 growth than the type. Few plants are 

 so satisfactory as a window or house 

 plant, the dry air of a room suiting it 

 fully as well as the more moist atmos- 

 phere of the greenhouse. A native of 

 Mexico, it will thrive in a high tempe- 

 rature, but a winter heat of 55 to 60 

 degrees will keep it in good order. To 

 bring out its rich golden variegation, 

 the leaves being always most irregu- 

 larly marked, it should not have very 

 rich soil. Pot firmly, and except in 



Begonia Manicata Aurea. 



Glorie de Lorraine: A very recent 

 introduction bearing rose colored 

 flowers and blooming the entire win- 

 ter. 



Gracilis: Very fine summer flower- 

 ing sort. 



Incarnata: This name has been dis- 

 puted but I can not find it described 

 under another. It is an erect growing 

 species, flowers most freely and is al- 

 ways in bloom by the holidays, but if 

 not cut then it makes a beautiful plant 

 when its rosy pink flowers are fully 

 developed. The variety incarnata 

 grandiflora is a great improvement on 

 the species. 



Maculata: Spotted leaves and hand- 

 some drooping coral pink flowers. 



Manicata: This has a fine, green 

 leaf, but is of little value to a florist, 

 as it occupies much room and the flow- 



the very hottest months it should have 

 the full light. Its thick, fleshy, crook- 

 ed stems are slow to branch, and pro- 

 pagation by shoots is too slow, but it 

 will propagate from sections of the 

 leaf precisely as do the Rex begonias, 

 either by laying a well developed leaf 

 on the sand and pegging it down, 

 making a cut here and there through 

 the mid-ribs of the leaf, or by cutting 

 up the leaf into small pieces and put- 

 ting them in the sand. When you be- 

 gin steady firing, say in December, 

 is the best time to propagate. 



Metallica: Foliage very handsome. 

 Pink and white flowers. 



Nitida alba: Very pretty white 

 flowers. 



Rubra: Large coral pink. 



Saundersonii: Bright red flowers; 

 a very useful variety for cutting. 



Vernon: A splendid bedding plant. 

 Dwarf, bushy habit and the plant 

 covered with pink and white flowers. 

 This variety does well in the broad 

 sun and we find it one of the best of 

 vase plants. It is easily raised from 

 seed. Sown in October it will make a 

 fine bedding plant by the following 

 May. Fifty degrees is warm enough 

 and the plants should have at all times 

 a light bench or shelf. 



Weltoniensis: An old variety that 

 is inclined to be herbaceous. It does 

 well planted out in summer and is 

 largely used in vases and veranda 

 boxes. 



New varieties are being constantly 

 sent out, all worth trying. For the 

 amateur few plants are more easily 

 managed or more interesting than 

 many of the distinct species. 



Tuberous-Rooted Section. 



The tuberous-rooted section comes 

 from the cooler parts of South Ameri- 

 ca and are very distinct from the 

 shrubby sorts. They are entirely de- 

 ciduous. They make fine bedding 

 plants as well as splendid pot plants 

 for the greenhouse from June to Oc- 

 tober. As a window plant they are 

 not to be commended, soon dropping 

 their showy petals. It is as a bedding 

 plant they are chiefly valuable. When 

 I say that I have seen in our city large 

 beds of these begonias surpassing in 

 brilliancy of color, and certainly in 

 variety, any bed of geraniums, it must 

 be recognized as a good bedding plant. 

 The cooler the summer the better they 

 do and in localities where the heat is 

 excessive they may not be desirable. 



They are easily raised from seed, 

 which should be sown in January or 

 February. The seed of all begonias is 

 very minute and no covering of the 

 seed with soil can be done. Water the 

 soil in the pan well before sowing and 

 then sow on the surface, covering the 

 pan with a pane of glass till the seed 

 germinates. When large enough to 

 handle prick out the seedlings into 

 flats, keeping them on a light shelf, 

 and when grown so as to be nearly 

 touching put into 2-inch pots and grow 

 on. The seedlings hardly make bed- 

 ding plants the first year, but can be 

 planted on a good piece of soil and 

 will make fine bulbs for the succeed- 

 ing year. When the tops are killed, 

 before there is any danger of frost 

 at the root they should be lifted, dried 

 in a sunny place and then stored away 

 in some perfectly dry material ^dry 

 sand will do), till it is time to start 

 them again in the spring. 



For the busy florist it is, however, 

 advisable to leave the raising of seed- 

 lings to the specialist who grows them 

 by the hundred thousand and be con- 

 tent with buying the dormant roots 

 each year. It is cheaper, for the price 

 is now lower than you could afford to 

 raise them for. The double varieties 

 are about twice as costly as the single 

 ones and are no more effective as bed- 

 ding plants. 



The middle of March is early enough 

 to start them, which is best done by 



