THE BEGONIA 87 



and at this stage must he treated as stove plants. The 

 soil that suits them hest is mellow sandy loam enriched 

 with clean leaf-moukl, and with the pots well drained as a 

 proteeti(.)n against stagnant moisture. They grow fast and 

 reqnire rather liberal pot-room, hut it is good practice for 

 the amateur aliva//s to keep plants in tlie smallest pots con- 

 sistent with healthy growth and free dcxelopmentj for the 

 commonest mistake of Ijcglnncrs is to ]n'ovide more jiot- 

 room than the roots can fill in a reasonable space of time, 

 this resulting in souring of the soil and an arrest of growth 

 altogether. They must be shifted on as necessary, and 

 robust kinds must have larger ]iots than weak kinds, while 

 the soil must always be rather light and good without 

 any animal manure. A little stopping and training may 

 be necessary in certain cases, but the less the better, 

 free natural growth being best for displaying the real 

 beauties of the ])lants. Every sort will flower at its own 

 season, unless the management is such as to thwart its 

 purjjose. ^Vlien grown in a common greenhouse, \\'inter 

 flowers are not to be looked for; but with a temperature 

 of fifty to sixty degrees through the winter, the stove 

 begonias will gi\'c a fine crop of winter flowers ; and as 

 young free-growing plants always flower best, a fresh 

 stock shoidd be raised every year, and old plants should 

 be destroyed. 



The best begonias for winter flowers arc Caniiinaia, 

 Chelsoiii, Fnchsioide-^, Hi/drocot/jlifolid , Parvifolia, Bosa- 

 -flora, Sedeni, and Victor Leiaoine. For a stove pillar there 

 is scarcely a finer pillar-plant to be found thau Begonia 

 FucJmoiiles J it will grow to six feet or more if planted in 

 a border, and clothe the pillar with a splendid mass of 

 leafage, overlaid with brilliant flowers. It is not a difficult 



