THE GLOXINIA 93 



established before the next season comes around. If 

 this is not done till spring, it has, with me, almost 

 always refused to bloom for a year. It produces new 

 bulbs rapidly, and most of these should be removed 

 as they appear, or you will soon have a pot filled to its 

 edge with small plants which will interfere with the 

 vigorous blooming of the older bulbs. Four or six 

 old bulbs in a ten-inch pot will be sufficient. Save 

 the offsets and plant them out in the garden in spring 

 \'\here they will be likely to bloom the second season. 

 In fall they can be taken up and stored away with 

 Tuberoses and other bulbs of that class. 



The Gloxinia 



The Gloxinia is one of the very finest of all sum- 

 mer blooming plants for window or greenhouse culture. 

 It is wonderfully rich and varied in its coloring. In 

 this respect it quite equals the Pansy. Its depth of 

 color gives it a velvety look which always challenges 

 admiration from the lover of rich and magnificent 

 coloring. In shape it somewhat resembles the well- 

 known old Canterbury Bell of the border, as shown 

 in Fig 19. The flowers of most varieties are drooping 

 in habit, though some are erect. The colors range 

 through all shades of scarlet, crimson, rose, purple, 

 lilac, lemon-yellow and blue to pure white. Some will 

 have a white throat, while all the rest of the flower 

 is dark. Others will have an edge merely of white, 

 while others will have heavy blotchings of vividly 

 contrasting colors. The flower is thick in texture, 

 and frequently lasts for a week before falling off. 

 There will be from three to six at a time on well-grown 

 plants, with buds in all stages of development. If 

 plants are started in March or April they ought to 

 come into bloom by June, and from that time to 



