22 FAMILIAR GARDEN FLOIVHRS. 



VD floriculture. It is not particularly tender, and really 

 will not endure a high temperature for any length of time. 

 On the other hand, frost, damp, a cold wind, a dry air, 

 or long-continued sunshine may prove fatal to it, or at 

 least injurious. Its wants are few, but it can endure no 

 extremes ; and, when the circumstances are unfavourable, 

 it becomes infested with green-fly, or red-spider, or thrips, 

 or mildew, or some other plague, or it simply dies, and 

 tells no tale of the reason A\'hy. AVhere cinerarias are 

 seen in good condition, therefore, we must regard them 

 as representing careful, if not skilful cultivation, for a 

 blunderer will never do any good with them, nor will one 

 that is inconstant or impatient, or too trustful in rough- 

 and-ready methods. 



The best cinerarias are grown in cold frames, or in j)its 

 heated only to a suflicient point to keep out frost. They 

 should never be placed on wooden stages, or in large 

 houses, except when in flower and required for display ; 

 all the growing should be done in pits or frames on a 

 groundwork of clean coal-ashes or gravel, and at all times 

 the plants should have abundance of air and light, but 

 be protected from frost and from excessively powerful 

 sunshine. The soil should be rich and light, consisting of 

 turfy loam, leaf-mould, veiy rotten hotbed manure, and 

 sharp sand, the turfy loam always predominating. The 

 compost should be prepared long before it is needed, and 

 should be several times turned and mixed, to free it from 

 vermin, and render it perfectly sweet and mellow. It 

 should be broken down to a fine texture, but should not 

 be sifted— in fact, as a rule, sifted soil is worthless. 



The cineraria is increased by seeds and offsets. For 

 all ordinary purposes seeds are to be preferred, and it is 



