172 



THE BOOK OF GARDENING. 



flower with the greatest profusion throughout the whole summer, 

 and also stand the wet weather exceedingly well. They may be 

 raised in quantity from seed ; cuttings may also be rooted by 

 inserting them in a light sandy soil round the edge of the 

 cutting-pot, and placing them in a propagating-case having a 

 bottom-heat of about yodeg. 



The varieties of Begonias suitable for bedding purposes are now 

 numerous, the following being amongst the best : Worthiana, 

 a great favourite, with small orange-scarlet flowers ; it is of 

 robust constitution and exceedingly floriferous, and requires to be 

 planted at about loin. from plant to plant. Erfordi has dark 

 bronze-coloured leaves and rosy-carmine flowers. Vesuvius is 

 iin excellent variety, of compact habit, producing bright orange- 

 scarlet flowers. Cannell's Scarlet is a good dwarf form, bearing 

 numerous small scarlet flowers. Baumanni, primrose-scented, 

 produces bright rose-coloured flowers in profusion. Queen of 

 Bedders is a variety of the shrubby B. seniperfloj-ens, and has 

 rich dark bronze foliage, which sets off to advantage its 

 dazzling-red flowers. Ascotensis has pink, Castaucefolia has rose, 

 whilst Knowsleyana has blush-coloured flowers. Most of our 

 nurserymen offer seeds of both single and double varieties, 

 saved from flowers of all shades of colour from white, orange, 

 yellow, and pink, to dark crim.son. Tubers may also be obtained, 

 either of the named kinds or mixed specially for bedding 

 purposes. Seedlings are frequently employed for Bedding, and 

 may be cheaply procured. Fig. 83 represents an especially good 

 seedling, with flowers some 6in. across. 



Calceolarias. — These are subjects that require good, 

 deep, rich soil, with plenty of manure, the object being to 

 grow them vigorously so as to get healthy green plants, free 

 from insects. Propagation is effected by means of cuttings of 

 firm young shoots, put in during September and October, in a 

 cold pit or frame. The frame should be in a dry position, 

 and the cuttings must not be dibbled in too thickly, on account 

 of damping. They should be carefully shaded during sunshine, 

 and kept as close and cool as possible. They may also be pro- 

 pagated by cuttings, placed in pots at the same season, keeping 

 them in cutting-pots during the winter, potting off singly into 

 3in. pots in the early spring, and gradually hardening off. Those 

 that are struck in the cold frame will not require to be potted 

 up, but are best planted out direct from the frame to their 

 flowering quarters. All the autumn-struck cuttings should have 

 their tops pinched out about March, so as to form nice bushy 

 specimens. If more plants are required, these tops may be 

 put in as cuttings, either in hot-beds or in pans or boxes 

 placed in heat, and when rooted and growing freely they may 

 be hardened off gradually and planted out at the same time 

 as the others. Watering the cuttings is a point which requires 



