18 



JOUENAL OF HOETICTJLTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ July 4, 1872. 



thern all die with the frost, and plant with Tulips, &c, for 

 spring. If he wants to save his plants he must proceed 

 according to circumstances. If the Calceolarias and the Gera- 

 niums are mixed, it would be best to separate them either by 

 potting each plant separately, or putting each kind separately 

 into a larger pot or a box, so that each can get the requisite 

 treatment. For instance : In the case of Calceolarias we 

 would cut the plants pretty freely back — say in October, lift 

 them a week afterwards with all their roots and a good portion 

 of soil, pack them closely together, water them, place them near 

 the glass in a cool room in winter, keep them as much from 

 fire heat as possible, keep the soil rather moist all winter, and 

 give more room to the plants by turning them out in boxes 

 in April. 



Now for Geraniums thus mixed. We would also take them 

 up, and either pot or pack closely in a box, water to settle the 

 earth about the roots, aud about the end of October we would 

 strip off the whole of the leaves and the very soft points of the 

 shoots, allow the soil to become dryish, but not dust dry in 

 winter, and we would keep such plants in a dryish place — say 

 a dry cellar or a garret, being not at all particular as to much 

 light before the old succulent stems began to break, which 

 they would most likely do in March and April. In fact, we 

 like such old plants best when they do not show a leaf larger 

 than a sixpence before April. They will require more water 

 and room after that, but they will bloom in balconies as no 

 young plants will do, and require only a tithe of the trouble of. 

 young plants in winter. 



ill SL 



A Balcony GarlGn. 



If you ask if that is the best way of arranging them, we say 

 No. We would keep the Calceolarias chiefly to one set of 

 boxes, and the Geraniums to another, with appropriate and 

 mere temporary edgings to each. Then we would have two 

 sets of boxes for the balconies — one for bulbs, &c, in spring, 

 and one for blooming plants in summer and autumn. About 

 the middle of October we would prune back the Calceolarias 

 pretty freely, so that we should have fresh shoots near the 

 surface of the soil before winter. We would fresh surface the 

 plants, and remove the boxes to a room where they could have 

 a good portion of light, be kept moderately moist, and not ex- 

 posed to more than a degree or two of frost during the winter. 

 By April the boxes could go on the balcony during the day, 

 with a little protection at night. These, with surface-dressings 

 and manure waterings, would bloom early and well. 



We prefer young Calceolarias to old ones, and the room that 

 would be required for an old plant would hold something like 

 a score or a dozen of cuttings iip to March, and require no 

 more trouble. A 6-inch pot will hold about a score of cuttings 

 about 2A inches long, inserted from the middle of September 

 t3 the middle of October, and these placed either inside or 

 otside of the window will be sure to strike in a month or six 

 weeks, if a bell-glass is placed over them, and a piece of paper 

 to shade from bright sun, a little air being given at night to 

 prevent damping. If there are no bell-glasses, fill the 6-inch | 

 pot half full with propagating, light, sandy soil, and place a 

 square of glass over the top of the pot, shading and giving air ] 



as above. An improvement on the latter plan would be to use 

 a 3A-inehpot, and set it when filled at the bottom of a 6-inch 

 one. When struck these young plants, so close together, 

 would require little attention, except watering and air-giving, 

 until March, when they would require more room before being 

 finally planted out. 



Then as to the Scarlet Geraniums in boxes by themselves. 

 Give little water after September, remove larger leaves gradu- 

 ally until the middle of October, clear all the leaves away by 

 the end of it. The soil will be quite wet enough all the winter, 

 if not dust dry. The stems will be like a succulent plant, and 

 will hold quite enough of moisture to keep them pretty well, if 

 the plants are not exposed to any drying heat. The best place 

 for them is a store-room or garret, and much light is no great 

 object provided they are kept cool enough not to grow, and 

 airy enough not to damp, and frost kept out by the covering of 

 a cloth, or a little hay used to prevent the stems freezing. 

 When such plants, about March, begin to break and show 

 leaves the size of half a sixpence, the boxes should be brought 

 near a window, and in a sunny day the stems should be dusted 

 or sponged with water. Ere long a little water about 70° 

 should be given the soil, not all over at first, but poured into 

 holes made with skewers a few inches apart. In a few days 

 repeat the process if the weather is at all bright. When the 

 leaves get between the size of a sixpence and a new halfpenny, 

 all risk is over. Scrape away then a portiou of the surface 

 soil — say from half an inch to an inch deep, without injuring 



