THE FLORISTS* MANUAL. 



41 



cies, the beautiful hybrids of the her- 

 baceous section being what we are 

 interested in. Seed can be obtained of 

 any reliable seedsman that will pro- 

 duce a great variety of beautiful 

 flowers. Sow from June to end of Sep- 

 tember. If wanted in bloom by March 

 the earlier month is the time to sow, 

 but they are difficult to have in bloom 

 that early; if sown in September they 

 can be bloomed the following May, and 

 with less risk of failure than earlier. 

 The seed is most minute and for direc- 

 tions about sowing refer to chapter 

 on that subject. Would say here that 

 it should never be covered, a piece of 

 glass over the seed pan being suffi- 

 cient. 



When the little plants are large 

 enough to handle place them in pans 

 or pots an inch apart. When they are 

 near touching each other put into 3- 

 inch pots. By December they will be 

 large enough to go into 5-inch pots and 

 as they must be wintered cool they will 

 not need another shift till the first of 

 March, when they can go into their 

 flowering pots, a 7 or 8-inch. 



Calceolarias are not so often seen in 

 either the florists' windows or the pri- 

 vate garden as their great beauty 

 should warrant, and the reason is that 

 although they cannot be called a diffi- 

 cult plant to manage, they are easily 

 ruined by neglect or mismanagement. 

 The following conditions if faithfully 

 observed will insure success. 



Watering: At no time must they be 

 allowed to wilt for want of water, and 



of winter 40 degrees at night is plenty 

 warm enough. In Europe they are 

 largely grown in cold-frames. Here 

 that is not as practicable, but from 

 seed sowing till middle of November 

 a cold-frame is much the best for 

 them. Let them at all times be so situ- 

 ated that they can have light, room 



nent one till they are near flowering 

 time. 



Soil: A rather light loam, not chop- 

 ped or sifted too fine, with a fourth or 

 fifth of thoroughly rotted manure, will 

 grow them well. If the soil is heavy, 

 add sand to the manure. I am sure it 

 pays well when they are in the larger 



Herbaceous Calceolarias. 



like the cineraria must never be over 

 watered or that will kill them; avoid 

 extremes both ways. No syringing is 

 needed. 

 Temperature: In the dull, dark days 



to grow, plenty of fresh air and a low 

 temperature. Bright sun coming sud- 

 denly in early spring is liable to burn 

 their leaves, so a temporary shade 

 should be provided, but not a perma- 



pots, the 5-inch and upwards, to drain 

 with a few crocks and a piece of green 

 moss. 



Insects: They are seldom troubled 

 with any but the common greenfly, but 

 to those the calceolaria is a choice 

 morsel, and too often a fine batch of 

 young plants is utterly ruined by 

 them. Don't wait till you see the fly, 

 but smoke mildly every week at least 

 without fail, and till they are taken to 

 the show-house should always have 

 tobacco stems strewn among the pots. 

 There is no feature in the cultivation 

 of the calceolaria so important as this; 

 never let aphis be seen on them. 



The shrubby section of calceolaria is 

 used in Europe largely as a summer 

 flowering garden plant. The writer has 

 tried it here several times, but always 

 with failure, and that I believe is the 

 general verdict; our hot summer is the 

 obstacle. As a flowering plant for the 

 greenhouse they are not nearly as or- 

 namental as the herbaceous varieties. 

 The same cultural directions will ap- 

 ply to them, excepting that they are 

 usually propagated by cuttings, which 

 root readily in the fall in a cool, shady 

 frame. 



CAMELLIA. 



This once universally cultivated 

 plant has gone largely out of fashion 

 and for the last twenty years is neith- 

 er seen nor spoken of. The cause is 

 not far to seek. Our largest and best 

 tea roses are as beautiful in form, of 



