T&E BEGONlA. 9* 



or sudden gusts of wind may snap their succulent stems. 

 When the beauty of the bloom is past, the roots may be 

 dug up, and stored away in sand on a shelf in the green- 

 house, or any other place where they will be safe against 

 frost, and they should be a little damp, or at least not 

 utterly dry. In February or March the tubers may be 

 planted either in pots or boxes, and placed in a temperature 

 of about 50°, to begin a new growth. The pots or boxes 

 should be nearly filled with potsherds, for if the tubers are 

 put in any depth of soil beyond about three inches they will 

 be in danger. A compost such as is recommended above 

 will suit them, but a better compost, both for starting 

 tubers and cuttings and seeds, will be one consisting of 

 equal parts turfy loam, leaf-mould, and sharp sand, with 

 no manure at all. If a large stock is needed, the first shoots 

 may be snapped off when an inch or more in length, and 

 struck as cuttings in a temperature of 6.0° in a somewhat 

 close frame. When the cuttings are rooted they must have 

 more and more light and air, and must soon be potted off 

 singly in thumb-pots, after which the management will be 

 the same as with any other bedding plants. 



To raise these begonias from seed, boxes or pots should 

 be provided with plenty of potsherds, and only two or three 

 inches of sandy soil, containing much leaf-mould or peat. 

 The seed is as fine as snuff, and must be sprinkled with great 

 care, to spread it evenly over as large a space as possible. 

 The month of March is the best time to sow the seed, but a 

 fair growth may be obtained in a good season by sowing in 

 April or May. When the seedling plants are large enough 

 they must be pricked out, and when they have made a new 

 growth they must be potted into thumbs. 



The raising of new varieties may be accomplished by 



