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[438 ] 



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weeks they will begin to show signs of 

 growth, and should then have a little 

 water given without wetting the leaves. 

 When roots are formed, pot them off into 

 small pots, place them ia a cold frame 

 kept close, and shaded for a week or two. 

 Then gradually inure them to bear the 

 full sun, and give plenty of air, and mode- 

 rate but constant supplies of water. They 

 are then ready for planting out. The 

 best time to perform this is in early 

 spring, but it may be done also in August, 

 so as to have them rooted before the 

 winter sets in. 



By Division. Large, strong plants, 

 with numerous shoots, may be taken up 

 as soon as they have done flowering, and 

 be divided with a strong knife. Care 

 must be taken that each division has' a 

 good share of roots, and at least one 

 shoot to it. Plant these divisions in a 

 bed in a shady part of the garden, but 

 not under the drip of trees. They may 

 remain here till March, and then are 

 ready to plant out in the place where 

 they are to flower. 



By Seed. Save seed from the most 

 double and best coloured flowers. Clean 

 it from the husks, and keep it in a dry 

 drawer, or in a bag hung up in a dry 

 room. Sow early in March in shallow 

 wide pans, in a gentle heat. When the 

 seedlings are so large as to be readily 

 handled, transplant them either into 

 boxes three inches apart, or prepare a 

 bed of rich earth in a frame without 

 heat, and plant them out in it at the same 

 distance from each other. As soon as 

 the weather will permit, make a sufli- 

 ciently large piece of ground very rich 

 with well-decomposed hotbed dung, in a 

 dry, open part of the garden. Take the 

 plants up carefully with a garden trowel, 

 keeping as much earth as possible to 

 each. Carry them, a few at a time, in a 

 basket, to the prepared ground, and plant 

 them out in rows two feet apart, and one 

 foot between each plant. There they 

 may remain till they flower. Then mark 

 such as are well shaped and bright co- 

 loured; cut them down, and plant them 

 in the place where they are to flower next 

 season, giving a name to each. Write in 

 a book kept for the purpose a description 

 of each, both of shape and colour. 

 Single and badly-shaped flowers throw 

 away at once. 



Soil. They nrast have a dry, deep 

 Boil, enriched with plenty of manure. If 



the situation is damp, they will die off 

 in the winter, unless well drained, and 

 the bed elevated above the natural level. 

 Summer Culture. When the plants 

 begin to grow in the spring, give them a 

 mulching about two inches thick, with 

 some light littery manure. This will 

 protect the roots from the drying winds, 

 and strengthen the flower-shoots. Place 

 tall, strong stakes to them in good time, 

 and as they advance in growth, tie the 

 shoots separately to the stakes regularly, 

 but not too tightly, and leave room for 

 the stems to swell. During dry weather, 

 give, once a week, a thorough good 

 watering. If the flowers are intended 

 for exhibition in spikes, cut oif their ex- 

 treme ends. This will cause the flowers 

 to form a fine pyramid of bloom, and make 

 them open more equally and much larger. 

 Winter Culture. Cut down the flower- 

 stem as early as possible after the bloom 

 is over, and the seed is ripened. Dig the 

 ground between the plants, leaving it 

 moderately rough to mellow with tha 

 weather, adding a dressing of well-de- 

 composed manure. Before the severe 

 frosts are likely to set in, give a mulching 

 of light, half-decayed dung, closing it 

 round the plants. This will keep the 

 roots warm through the frosty weather, 

 and will enrich the ground as it decays. 

 Insects. The green fly will, in dry 

 seasons, attack the leaves and young 

 shoots. (See APHIS.) Slugs will also 

 attack the young shoots. They must be 

 diligently sought for and destroyed, or, if 

 very numerous, give the ground a water- 

 ing with clear lime-water occasionally. 

 In new ground, a brown grub is sometimes 

 very destructive by eating off the young 

 sJboots just level with the ground. No- 

 thing will kill these except hand-picking, 

 the soil must be stirred with the hand, 

 and the insects found and destroyed. 



Diseases. Sometimes they die off sud- 

 denly, the consequence of a too rich or 

 too damp soil. Whenever a plant is 

 struck with this disease it should be in- 

 stantly removed. If it has any young, 

 healthy shoots, they may be taken off and 

 put in as cuttings. The place must have 

 the soil removed for a foot square, fresh 

 soil put in* and a new healthy plant in- 

 serted. 



HOLMSKIO'LDIA. (Named after 21 

 Holmskiold, a Danish botanist. Nat. ord., 

 Labiates, orLipworts [Lamiacese}. Linn., 

 %-Angiospermia.) 



