August, 1909 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



23 



in the fall and continue until June, showing 

 at all times from twelve to fifty flowers 

 which will last a month. Often the flowers 

 will be spotted, marked and finely varie- 

 gated. The cushion of foliage, in different 

 shades of green, helps to set off the flowers 

 which rise above it. The seeds grow 

 freely, and the plants begin to bloom in 

 eight to ten months. 



WHY SOME FAIL 



The most common cause of failure with 

 these three flowers, when raised from seeds, 

 is starting them too early and the plants 

 more often make a rank growth. The 

 seedlings must be grown on to their flowering 

 stage without any check whatever. There 

 are very few plants that are easier to grow 

 from seed than these three, when sown at 

 the proper time and given the care and 

 attention needed. They revel in the cool, 

 light days of the autumn, but cannot endure 

 the heat of summer. 



The best arrangement for the seeds is a 

 small house frame which may be purchased 

 from a dealer in florists' supplies. The 

 proper season for sowing is from June to 

 September to give the plants that will bloom 

 the fall and winter of the year following. 

 A long time to wait ? Perhaps, but look 

 at the magnificence of the result. 



The soil for the frame, box, or whatever 

 may be selected to start them in, must be 

 fairly light and well drained. The following 

 mixture will answer well: One part leafmold, 

 one part light garden loam, and one part 

 sand. This should be thoroughly mixed 

 together and sifted before being placed in 

 the frame. For drainage use small broken 

 pieces of charcoal. It is the best, and will 

 give the most satisfaction, as it absorbs all 

 the impurities in the soil. When using the 

 frame, allow one inch for drainage and one 

 inch for soil, which should be made firm, 

 smooth, and moist the day before the seeds 

 are sown. If boxes or pots are used, cover 

 them with glass or cheesecloth to prevent 

 the moisture from evaporating rapidly. 



SOWING AND TRANSPLANTING 



The seeds of the calceolaria and cineraria 

 are very fine, and must be sown on the sur- 

 face and merely pressed into the soil — not 

 covered. Cyclamen seeds are fairly large, 

 and should be covered about their own 

 depth with fine sifted soil. When watering 

 it is best to allow the water to soak up 

 through the soil. Care should be taken to 

 prevent the fine seeds from washing out if 

 watered from above. From the day of sowing 

 never allow the soil to become dry. If the 

 seedlings are once checked in their growth 

 they will not amount to much. Calceolaria 

 seeds germinate in ten days, cineraria in 

 seven days, and cyclamen in one month. 



After the seedings have made their third 

 set of leaves, transplant into thumb pots 

 containing soil composed of two parts 

 leafmold to one of light garden loam, sand, 

 and well rotted cow manure of equal parts. 

 After transplanting, place the plants in a 

 shady , moist, and cool spot facing the north, 

 and keep the plants well watered during 



the remainder of the hot summer months 

 to promote strong growth. A fine spraying 

 twice a day will also be very beneficial in 

 keeping the insects away. 



As soon as the pots have become full of 

 roots, transplant to pots two inches larger 

 at every shift, until the plants are in seven 

 or eight-inch pots in which they should be 

 allowed to bloom. When the frosty nights 

 appear, bring in the plants and place them 

 in a room where the temperature is not above 

 65 degrees. Try to keep a fairly moist 



in the pots is a good preventive. Moist 

 tobacco stems placed under the pots will 

 help to keep them away. If badly infested, 

 make a weak infusion of tobacco juice and 

 dip the tops of the plants into it. 



The cyclamen may also be grown from 

 bulbs, which can be purchased from any 

 florist, and planted in September, Merely 

 press the bulb down in the soil, allowing 

 one-half of it to project above the surface. 

 They like a rich, sandy loam mixed with 

 well rotted cow manure. 



Perhaps the showiest of these window plants for sowing now. but rather less easy to grow. The calceolaria 

 varies immensely in color. Buy the very best seed if you "want large flowers 



atmosphere about the plants to keep the 

 red spider in check. 



The enemy from which these plants 

 will suffer is the green fly, causing con- 

 siderable damage to the plants if allowed 

 to go unmolested. This pest multiplies 

 very rapidly and in a short time may cover 

 every stem and leaf. The best remedy 

 for them is to thoroughly dust the upper 

 and under sides of the leaves with fine 

 tobacco dust or snuff. Placing fine cut 

 tobacco stems over the surface of the soil 



After the plants are done blooming, 

 gradually refrain from watering them, and 

 place the pots in a cool, shady spot to allow 

 the bulbs to dry off and rest throughout the 

 summer. Never allow the soil in the pots 

 to become dust dry. In September, repot 

 in the same sized pots in which they last 

 bloomed, using the same kind of soil. 

 Although growing from bulbs is the easier 

 way, yet I do not recommend it, for it seems 

 to me that there is more satisfaction from 

 growing the plants from seed. 



