i 4 2 THE FLOWER GROWER'S GUIDE. 



6-inch pots by filling with fine soil as recommended for cuttings, making this firm and 

 level, and watering prior to sowing the seed. Place in a brisk moist heat, cover with a 

 square of glass, and shade heavily till the seedlings appear, afterwards gradually 

 exposing these to the light and sunshine. Prick the seedlings into small pots and keep 

 them in gentle heat till growing freely, after which a warm greenhouse shelf will suit them. 

 Choice abutilons may be grafted on commoner varieties or seedlings, but this is not 



often done. The one note- 

 worthy exception is in 

 favour of the pendulous or 

 trailing variety — A. vexil- 

 larium igneum — pretty 

 standards of this being had 

 by grafting it on clean 

 straight stems of any vigor- 

 ous erect-growing variety. 



Cultural Details. — 

 Plants with a single branch- 

 ing stem are the most orna- 

 mental and floriferous, and 

 for this reason little or no 

 topping of either seedlings 

 or plants raised from cut- 

 tings is desirable. Before 

 the young plants become 

 much root - bound, shift 

 them into 6 -inch pots — a 

 good size to flower them 

 in — employing a compost 

 of two parts fibrous loam to one of either peat or leaf soil, or a mixture of both, with a 

 little well-decayed manure and sand added. Pot firmly. Arrange the plants either on 

 a shelf in a light greenhouse or on a bed of ashes in a shallow pit or frame. When 

 flowering assist them with liquid manure. A warm greenhouse is needed for those 

 which are desired to flower late, and the more weakly growers should have a stake to 

 support them. The illustration represents an excellent seedling abutilon. 



