13S FAMTLIATt GARDEX FLOTFERS. 



breeders, liave Ijeeii systematically shortening- the time 

 of the perfecting' nf their produce fur the market. The 

 hreeder of cattle has to keep in mind that his horned family 

 must he ready for the market at an early date, and the 

 feeder has to work up to the hreeder's notion, in order 

 to make the meat manufacture ]ia}'. This is well known; 

 and one of its results is that as civilisation destroys our 

 teeth, it at the same time provides us with tender meat. 



If 3'ou will turu hack to the hortienltural pajsers of, 

 say, thirty to fifty years ago, you will quickly learn that 

 the growing of good gloxinias, cinerarias, calceolarias, and 

 other of the more delicate florists' flowers, was slow work; 

 hut now it is done in "no time," and one may well he 

 flustered when suddenl)- called upon to discourse in a learnal 

 way on any of these sulijects. /////; /v'////* — Begin with oif- 

 pets ; lose a lot ; have great trouhle to root them and to 

 keep them — bah ! Begin with seeds that will grow like 

 weeds ; lose none, and have a stock of gorgeous plants in 

 about three months withoiit difficulty, instead of in three 

 years with difficulties innumerable. Somebody else may 

 say "l)ah"now; the sheepish ones are those who stick 

 to the old custom. i\Ian)^ earnest workers have contri- 

 buted to this ''shortening" jirocess in the manufacture 

 of our floral fancy liread ; but few have laboured so con- 

 sistently, scientifically, and with such solid results as 

 jNIessrs. Sutton and Sons, who can show at any time 

 l)etween June and October gloxinias g-i-owu qnicklj' from 

 seed, that may be allowed to turn with delight the head 

 of an}' one who knows a gloxinia. 



The gloxinia is a stove plant, loving moisture and some 

 degree of shade. Like our own foxglove, which may be 

 called the British gloxinia, it is a woodland plant, .and 



