DREEll's GARDEN CALENDAR. 27 



CALCEOLARIA. — As this very desirable flower requires a little 

 special care, the following method should be adopted. The seed should 

 be sown in the latter part of August, or beginning of September, in pots 

 prepared in the following manner: the pot to be half-filled with drain- 

 age, over that, the rough sifting of the mould, and the surface covered 

 witn soil as fine as possible, half of which should be composed of river 

 sand. When prepared thus, it should be watered with a fine rose, 

 immediately after which sow the seed carefully, without any covering of 

 soil. The pots should then be placed under a close frame or hand-glass, 

 in a shady part of the garden, no artificial heat being required. In 

 large establishments, of course, there are propagating or other houses 

 that will do, where the same kind of moist temperature couldbe obtained, 

 out any exposure to the sun must be carefully guarded against by mats 

 or paper. If the situation be of the proper temperature, they will 

 require watering but very seldom. As soon as the seedlings are strong 

 enough, they must be picked off in pots prepared as before, and placed 

 in the same situation; from the store pots they will require to be 

 potted off singly : after this the plants will grow very rapidly. Through 

 the winter the plant will thrive well on the shelves near the glass, in 

 the green-house; and, to obtain fine specimens, they must be shifted on 

 freely till the flower-stalks have started, and should always be smoked 

 with tobacco, as soon as the green-fly appears, as no plants in cultiva- 

 tion so readily suffer from this insect as the Calceolaria. 



It is necessary to remark, that one of the most frequent causes of 

 the appearance of these injurious insects, is the plant becoming root- 

 bound; to avoid which evil, it is important that it should frequently be 

 re-potted during the growing season. 



CINERARIA are more hardy in their growth, and require somewhat 

 less care than the above, but for them the same treatment will suit in 

 sowing of seed, &c. If required to flower in the winter, seed should 

 be sown in April and May, and in the following months for spring 

 flowering. 



CLIMBERS, for garden decoration should be sown in January, 

 February, and March, the earlier the better, as the display for the after 

 season will be in proportion to their early vigor for planting out; such 

 as Coboea, Tliunbergia, 3Iaurandia, Lophospermum, Calampelis [Eccre- 

 mocarpus, ) and Tropseolum of sorts. 



CLEMATIS species amongst hardy shrubs, and PENSTEMON, 

 amongst herbaceous plants, are prominent instances of seeds which 

 remain long dormant, often a whole year, before they grow, hence the 

 ^uportance of sowing them as soon as ripe. 



Another class often fail to germinate in consequence of the thick- 

 ness or hardness of the outer skin or integument. We have had 

 seeds of the Erythrina and Canna for months in the ground perfectly 

 dormant, which upon being soaked in hot water for one week have ger- 

 minated finely. 



