IO 



THE FLOWER GROWERS GUIDE. 



in a cool shaded border in the garden. They must not be allowed to got dry, and as the 

 offsets become strong and form roots, carefully detach them with a sharp knife, securing 

 all the roots possible. Place singly in small pots and from that time forward treat 

 exactly the same as seedlings. Single varieties can be perpetuated in precisely the same 

 way. Plants raised from offsets do not grow so strongly as seedlings and the majority 

 flower satisfactorily in 5-inch pots. 



Insect Pests. 



A form of Aphis, or green fly, is the principal enemy of the cineraria. If permitted 

 to infest the plants, especially when they are in flower, they soon become objects of pity 

 instead of beauty. They never become infested if properly managed. If grown on a 

 bed of damp ashes in cool frames, adequately, yet judiciously watered, also' otherwise as 

 previously described, there will probably be no green fly on the plants when housed ; but 

 if one insect is discovered on any of the plants or on other occupants of the house, at 

 once fumigate gently with tobacco on two consecutive evenings. A dense volume of smoke 

 may do injury. Vapour cones or vapourised nicotine are preferred by some cultivators. 

 By having recourse to those measures, early and periodically, the plants will be kept 

 clean and reward the cultivator with handsome leaves and delightful flowers in infinite 

 variety over a considerable period. No mistake is so great as permitting insects to gain 

 the ascendancy, before repressives are resorted to, as then much mischief will have 

 already been done and a complete clearance of the pests can only be effected by applica- 

 tions so strong as to injure the plants. A leaf mining grub is troublesome in some 

 gardens. Directly these commence feeding on the fleshy portion between the skins of 

 cineraria leaves, crush them with the finger and thumb, or disfigurement of the plant 

 is inevitable. Both the small fly that deposits the eggs, and the resulting grubs may 

 be destroyed on plants under glass by means of nicotine vapour. 



CYCLAMENS. 



A charming genus of Primulaceous plants, the name being derived from their 

 circular bulb-like corms. There are several hardy kinds, all more or less attractive, 

 but the most popular of all is the tender species, C. persicum, as represented by the 

 numerous beautiful varieties ranging in colour from snow white, through the various 

 shades of rose, pink, lilac, purple, to glowing crimson. The original species was intro- 

 duced to this country from Cyprus, in 1731. Not, however, till greatly improved by 



