BEGONIA. 37 



greenhouse or for garden decoration. Upon their intro- 

 duction into this country they were not supposed, by 

 our florists, to be able to withstand our rare atmosphere, 

 drying winds and burning suns. The few that thought 

 differently persevered in their cultivation unti? they es- 

 tablished the fact that they would not only endure our 

 climatic conditions, but that they were just what these 

 plants required for their full development. The idea 

 that a low temperature and moist atmosphere were nec- 

 essary to the successful cultivation of the Tuberous Be- 

 gonias, was abandoned during the season of 1892, which 

 was one of the driest and hottest known for many years. 

 In the nursery row the proper place to judge of a 

 plant's usefulness it appeared during that year to the 

 best possible advantage. It showed, also, just what must 

 be done to insure success, and that it can withstand ex- 

 treme heat and excessive drouth as well as almost any 

 other bedding plant. The principal point learned in re- 

 gard to its culture is, that it must be treated as a plant 

 and not as a bulb. The enthusiastic florist, seeing the 

 many good qualities of the plant, has led amateurs to 

 believe it could be treated as a bulb, and planted out in 

 the same manner as the Gladiolus or Tigridia, and 

 kept dormant during the winter in the same manner. 

 This is a great mistake, as the tubers will not endure as 

 long a period of rest, and cannot be exposed to the air 

 for a long time without seriously injuring their vitality. 

 The tubers must be kept in dry earth or sand, until they 

 show signs of growth, which will not be later than the 

 first of March, then they may be started into rapid 

 growth. After the eyes are fully developed the tubers 

 may be divided; each eye will make a plant. Then 

 they are to be treated in all respects like greenhouse 

 plants, and grown on until the proper season for their 

 planting out. This is not before the first of June, as 

 Begonias are quite sensitive to cold nights, but not at 



