CALCEOLARIAS. 



3'3 



Diseases and Insect Pests. — Begonias are not greatly liable to be attacked by either 

 diseases or insect pests of any kind. If the tubers are started in boxes as advised, few 

 will be lost by the disease of a fungoid nature which sometimes attacks the shoots 

 on newly started plants in pots, while green fly and thrips can easily be kept under by 

 an occasional fumigation with tobacco smoke or by the vapour from nicotine. 



Varieties. — Their name is legion. Large numbers of novelties are constantly forth- 

 coming, these gradually superseding the older varieties. Each specialist has lists quite 

 different from those issued by other firms, and no good purpose would be served in 

 giving selections that could not be procured without endless trouble and which would 

 also soon be out of date. Buyers would do well to order their seeds and tubers from 

 reliable firms and to be guided by them in their selections. 



CALCEOLARIAS. 



What florists have accomplished in the improvements of this beautiful greenhouse 

 flower is graphically depicted on page 29. The genus is divided into two sections, 

 the herbaceous and shrubby. Both are suitable for pot culture and for greenhouse 

 and conservatory decoration, but it is the herbaceous section that is the more popular 

 for the last-named purpose. Out of such old species as C. amplexicaulis, arachnoidea, 

 corymbosa, integrifolia and purpurea, florists have succeeded in evolving numerous 

 beautiful varieties with bolder foliage, strong stems and compact heads of large, well- 

 formed, brilliantly coloured flowers. A few good additions have also been made to the 

 shrubby section. 



Herbaceous Section. — The characteristics of a good calceolaria are — (a) plants of 

 compact habit with ample dark green foliage; (b) flower stems stout, carrying dense trusses 

 just above the foliage; (c) flowers regular in outline, well inflated, with a smooth surface, 

 for each of which properties two points or marks of merit should be allowed when 

 judging, the maximum number, seven points, being awarded when the colouring of the 

 flowers is also distinctly good. The larger the flower the better, always provided it is 

 of good form and the colour bright and clear, the spots, if any, not running into each 

 other or feathering into the ground colour. 



Cultural Details. 



Herbaceous calceolarias can be propagated by division of the plants after flower- 

 ing or by cuttings of the sucker growths, but these methods of increase are rarely 

 vol. 1. 8 s 



