126 



Garden and Forest. 



[Mav 9, i888. 



These are variousl)' divided into 3 or 4 sections, 

 to which twice as many generic names liave been 

 given by different authorities, based mainly upon 

 the form of the flower and upon differences in the 

 stamens, three of which are sometimes reduced 

 to broad scales, while the filaments are often 

 winged. 



The present species belongs to the section Tii- 

 titeia or Seuber/ia, characterized by having six 

 stamens with naked filaments and anthers sus- 

 pended by the middle, and the tube of the flower 

 narrowed downward. It is one of the most showy 

 species of the genus, the numerous large flowers 

 being of a bright sky-blue color. Its home is in 

 central California among the foothills of the Sierra 

 Nevada. Most Californian bulbs of this sort need 

 peculiar treatment, and are apt to give poor satis- 

 faction in eastern gardens. Some of our florists 

 who have had experience in their culture should 

 tell us what methods have been found to gi\'e the 

 best results. 5. W. 



Cultural Department. 



Calceolarias. 



FROM March till May tlie spotted or herbaceous 

 Calceolarias are at their beb.t in the green-house, 

 and they make a magnificent display. Indeed, when 

 massed together no flowers of the season equal them 

 in brilliancy and profusion. By continued selection 

 in recent years larger, more perfectly formed, more 

 brilliantly colored and distinctly spotted flowers have 

 been produced, and the habit of the plants has be- 

 come so dense and stocky that flower stems now 

 stand erect, unsupported by any stakes. 



This year we have the International strain only, and 

 among a hundred plants now in full bloom, in one of 

 our green-houses, there is not so much as one stick 

 or other support of any kind among them, but the\" 

 all stand bolt upright by the sturdy vigor of their 

 own limbs. 



The niain points to observe in growing Calceolarias 

 are these : Do not sow the seed before the nriddle of 

 June ; throughout their early life keep them as cool 

 as possible ; shade from sunshine during their whole 

 existence, but at the same time give them as much 

 light as possible ; don't allow them to get frozen ; 

 never let them get dry at the root; don't crowd them; 

 keep them rigidly free from aphides, and when they 

 are in bloom do not allow water in any way, even as 

 "dew" from an over-moist atmosphere, to touch the 

 flowers. 



Sow the seed about the 21st of June, in a seed-pan 

 filled two-thirds deep with drainage and then to the 

 top with fine sandy soil. Put the seed-pan in a north- 

 facing cold-frame, with sashes on to ward off rain, 

 and ventilate to keep it cool, and shaded to prevent 

 the earth in the pans getting dry too ciuickly. The 

 seed, although very small, has great vitality, and 

 generally most of it germinates in a fortnight. We 

 soon prick off the seedlings into other pans, thence 

 into two-and-one-half-inch pots, and afterwards repot 

 them as their size and vigor demand, till they are 

 in six or seven-inch pots, the sizes in which thev bloom. 



For soil use rich, porous, turfy loam rubbed (not sifted) fine, 

 and some dry, old manure, also some leaf soil and sharp 

 sand, and in all cases have the pots well drained. And although 

 the soil should be moderately firm, particularly avoid such 

 solid potting as would be necessary for Roses or Carnations. 



Throughout their whole existence Calceolarias must be co- 

 piously supplied with water at the root ; and after they are in 

 their flowering pots and well-rooted, weak manure water may 

 be given them frequently. But as their foliage is so succulent 

 and closely bunched together, carefully avoid wetting the leaves, 

 else thev are apt to rot off at the neck. 



We keep the plants outside in the cold-frame till November, 

 when they are brought indoors to a cool green-house and set 

 on stages cpiite near the glass. While a slight frost will not 

 hurt them, it is better not to run the risk of any freeziuij- what- 

 ever. Throughout the winter we keep the green-house as 

 cool as is possible with safety, never letting it fall under 35° nor 



Fie;. 24. — Brodia'a Bridgepii. 



rise above 50°. hi favorable weather we ventilate freely and 

 at the same time use a little fire heat to dispel damp. 



If sown earlv and grown along vigorously Calceolarias may 

 be had in bloom in January, and if sown in September their 

 flowering period can be retarded till June, but after the warm 

 weather of summer sets in it is a difflcult matter to keep them in 

 good condition. They are at their best in April. 



They are more liable to be attacked by the green fly than 

 are any other plants in cultivation, and in order to protect 

 them from aphides we must use tobacco vapor and smoke 

 unsparingly, and not so much as a cure as a preventive. 

 While the voung plants are in the cold-frames, tobacco stems 

 should be placed under and among the pots; and in the green- 

 house tobacco stems should always be laid on the hot-water 

 pipes under the benches. The constant vapor from these 

 wetted stems, and thorough smoking at intervals, are the 

 best defense against insect attacks. 



Calceolaria flowers do not last long after beinaf cut, but for a 



