30 FAMILIAR GARDEN FLOWERS. 



The routine culture of aehimenes admits of brief de- 

 scription witliout omission of any matter of importance. 

 They are of annual growth, and are renewed as required 

 l)y planting the dormant tubers in pots or pans. The 

 usual time to commence the cultivation is the month of 

 January, but successive supplies should be started later 

 where a continuous display of the flowers is required. 

 The tubers may be put into pans or baskets in a mixture 

 iif peat or silky loam, leaf-mould, and sharp sand. They 

 should l>e planted thickly — say two or three inches apart. 

 \ ery little water should be given until they are growing 

 freely, and for the first few days none at all. When ])ut 

 into baskets a lining of luoss must be provided to keep the 

 soil together, and this should consist for the most part of 

 iibrous peat or loam, which will of itself hold together 

 like moss. A moist heat is required to start the tubers — • 

 sa^- 05" by night and 70'' lay day. Where this cannot be 

 commanded in Janmiry a warm greenhouse will suffice, 

 provided the Hrst batch is put into the pans in the month 

 of jMarch, as then the sun-heat is rapidly advancing, and 

 the warmest part of the house may be allotted to them. 

 At all times the atraosjihei'e in which aehimenes are 

 grown should lie warm and moist, and hence it is cus- 

 tomary m many gardens to grow these and gloxinias 

 in an orchid house. As regards water, they must have 

 plenty when in full growth, and, from the time when the 

 bloom fiuds appear, weak liquid manure should be given 

 them until the flowering is over. Then they must be 

 gradually- dried off, and when the leaves have AX'ithered, 

 the ])ots or ])ans should be stored away with the roots in 

 them undisturbed, and must be kept dry, and in a tempe- 

 rature of 45'-' to b\)'^ until the time returns to start them 



