24 



THE TUBEROUS BEGONIAS. 



combine the richest shades and the intermediate 

 colors — certainly a point greatly in their favor. 



Tuberous begonias are well adapted to almost every 

 kind of culture. They may be grown in pots, boxes 

 or baskets, out of doors, or under glass, or in the 

 open ground. The thick structure of the plants enables 

 them to withstand wet and stormy weather as well as 

 tropical heat and drouth. Even at this late date 

 (October 2d) we have thousands of plants as plentifully 

 covered with flowers of every shade as during the sum- 

 mer, notwithstanding the rain storms and cold nights to 

 which the geraniums, coleus and many varieties of 

 summer-flowering plants have succumbed. 



Another valuable feature of these begonias is that 

 they possess the beautiful and abundant foliage which 

 is characteristic of the family. With the exception of 

 the geranium, there is no plant that can produce so 

 gorgeous a display of rich and varied colors as the 

 begonia when grown in masses, and all who grow them 

 will come to this conclusion. 



Only a few people as yet recognize the value of bego- 

 nias as bedding-out plants, but their general adoption 

 for this purpose is only a matter of time. In some 

 places they are already quite extensively used, and still 

 their availability in this direction is far from being fully 

 understood. They contrast so beautifully with other 

 plants that they will not be discarded after a fair trial is 

 given them. When grown in masses, the different kinds 

 can also be arranged with good effect. 



Begonias should be grown in a loose rich soil. There 

 is no danger of their running to leaf, even in wet and 

 sunless weather. During weather that would ruin the 

 looks of geraniums they grow steadily and produce 

 flowers at every joint, and instead of appearing battered 

 and bruised after a storm, the plants appear actually re- 

 freshed. No insects prey upon them, so their leaves 

 and flowers are mostly perfect, which can be said 

 of very few plants. This fact alone greatly reduces the 

 labor and expense of growing them. 



It is not near so difficult to cultivate tuberous begonias 

 successfully as has heretofore been supposed, and if the 

 following instructions are followed success is assured ; 



If the plants are intended for pot culture, either for 

 greenhouse, conservatory or window, it is better to use 

 bulbs or tubers. These should be obtained from a re- 

 liable source, say in February or April, while in a dor- 

 mant state. They can now be obtained at a moderate 

 price, but it must not be supposed that the choice 

 varieties will be found in the cheaper collections which 

 are offered, for as in all other classes of flowers, the 

 choicer sorts are selected according to their merits and 

 included in the superior and more valuable collections ; 

 and these are certainly preferable for pot culture. 



For early flowering it is advisable to start the bulbs 

 in February or March, either in small pots or shallow 

 boxes in a greenhouse, conservatory, or in the window. 

 The soil should be composed of loam, sharp sand and 

 leaf mould. The pots should not be much larger than 

 the bulbs, and should have good drainage. The bulbs 



should be lightly covered, and if started in boxes, the 

 soil should not be over two and one-half to three inches 

 in depth. Set the bulbs the same as in pots, taking 

 care that the drainage is perfect ; they can be planted 

 very close together. As soon as the bulbs are planted, 

 water lightly with a sprinkler, so as to moisten the soil 

 thoroughly and equally, and a moist but not wet condi- 

 tion should be maintained. The temperature in which 

 the bulbs are started should be from 60° to 65°. 



After growth has started, give regular but moderate 

 ventilation, and a somewhat cooler temperature, avoid- 

 ing, however, all cold drafts. After leaves have formed 

 the plants should be carefully repotted, or if started in 

 boxes, be carefully lifted and potted into suitable sized 

 pots. Do not make the mistake of over-potting. The 

 soil should be the same as that used before, except that 

 a larger proportion of loam, and a little well-rotted old 

 manure be added ; continue the treatment as above 

 directed. 



Should it be desirable to start the bulbs in hot-beds, 

 which can be safely done in March or April, the same 

 line of treatment can be pursued, avoiding, however, the 

 steamy atmosphere which may collect in a hot-bed and 

 cause the bulbs to rot. All "coddling" should be care- 

 fully avoided. 



As soon as the roots of the plants have filled the four 

 or five-inch pot in which they are now growing (which 

 can be easily ascertained by turning up the pots for ex- 

 amination) they should finally be potted into six or 

 seven-inch pots for flowering. This should be done be- 

 fore they have become crowded with roots. A still 

 stronger loam or soil may now be used, and the 

 plants potted a little more firmly than before. This 

 will induce a firmer growth and more lasting qualities 

 in both plant and bloom. The plants should now have 

 all the light and air possible to promote and maintain a 

 healthy condition, and the soil .should never be allowed 

 to get dry, though on dark and cloudy days water should 

 be judiciously given. The same temperature as hereto- 

 fore may be continued. 



Should large specimens for exhibition be desired, 

 then the plants may again be re-potted into still larger 

 pots and the same potting material be used. Remove 

 the first flower buds in order to promote a continuance 

 of growth, instead of immediate bloom. After the 

 plants become established in their blooming pots, they 

 may be treated to a weak liquid manure. Sheep manure 

 soaked in water is the best. This may be applied once 

 a week, and care should be taken not to have it too 

 strong. For bedding-out purposes seedling plants, as 

 well as bulbs or tubers, can be used, providing they are 

 of a first-class strain ; it is of 'great importance to 

 obtain them from a reliable source. Bulbs or tubers, 

 however, are preferred if early flowering plants are de- 

 sired ; plants grown from them will bloom more abund- 

 antly in the early part of the season, since they have 

 the strength of the already formed bulbs to start with.' 

 Such flowering plants, whether grown from seeds or 

 from bulbs, may be planted as early as the middle of 



