A BEGONIA 



RAKINGS AI-TER OUR 



THE BEAUTIFUL colored plate of begonias 

 in the January number has one rare merit — 

 it is not exaggerated. So far as mere size is 

 concerned, I have raised seedlings with much 

 larger flowers. The tuberous begonias are 

 admirable plants for bedding on lawns in 

 this climate. A slight cover of cotton-seed hulls over 

 the surface of the beds is sufficient for their winter 

 protection, and they start with a great deal more vigor 

 in spring than tubers that have been lifted in the fall. 

 Our people are almost entirely unacquainted with these, 

 but I hope to attract attention to them by getting the 

 curator of the capitol park to plant a bed or two. I 

 think it is not a good plan anywhere to start the tubers 

 under glass that are intended for bedding out in sum- 

 mer. It is hard to inure the foliage, started inside, to the 

 outer air, and a check to this first growth results in a 

 rather stunted growth for some time after. The bulbs 

 starting in the open ground come with a stronger, darker 

 green, and always make a better display. 



The best way I have ever tried for starting any of 

 these delicate seeds is to prepare a light soil of leaf 

 mould and sand, well enriched with fine old sheep dung. 

 Place this in a pan or shallow box, and sift over the sur- 

 face a very thin layer of dry sphagnum. This sphagnum 

 should be rubbed through a fine sieve and be scattered 

 not more than an eighth of an inch thick on the surface 

 of the soil. Now water the box thoroughly but gently 

 with a fine rose, and at once scatter the seeds over the 

 surface. Now cover the box with a sheet of roofing 

 slate and place in the warmest and sunniest place you 

 have. The slate absorbs the sun heat rapidly and trans- 

 fers it when it is needed; it also keeps the seed in to- 

 tal darkness, which is quite important in germinating, 

 and also prevents the necessity for watering, which 

 would be almost sure to be fatal. Under these cir- 

 cumstances any good seed will quickly germinate. As 

 soon as the seed germinates remove the slate and sub- 

 stitute a sheet of window glass for it, and place the box 

 in a less sunny place Now take great care to prevent 

 damping off. As soon as the little seedlings have 

 developed roots, lift them on the point of a knife and 

 transplant into a similar box to that in which they were 

 started, omitting the sphagnum cover. — W. F. Massey, 

 North Carolina Agricultural College. 



Notes of Treatment. — Varieties. — I am glad to see 

 that you are taking so much interest in the tuberous be- 

 gonias. They have not been pushed in this country as 

 much as their merits deserve. I have been growing 

 them in quantity for the past five years. On some 

 points I should take exceptions to the treatment recom- 

 mended by some of the writers in your January number. 

 Under glass I have found the best temperature to start 



AFTERMATH. 



JANUARY SYMPOSIU.M. 



the tubers in is about 50° ; it is always detrimental to 

 attempt to force them. Any extra heat only makes them 

 " 'sggy " '^^^ weak. Always let them "come away " of 

 their own accord. Give them plenty of air, low temper- 

 ature, set near the glass, and you are sure of success. 

 They need a slight shade as soon as flowering com- 

 mences, just enough to keep the sun from burning them. 

 I use cheese cloth. The soils recommended are all right ; 

 in fact, any soil not too heavy and soggy will answer. 

 The English notion of filling pots one-third full of "bro- 

 ken pots " is all nonsense. In small pots we use noth- 

 ing, and in five and ten-inch pots simply one piece of 

 broken pot. 



During the summer we give all the air possible and 

 keep the temperature down by dampening the walks 

 with cold water. Never wet the foliage after they com. 

 mence flowering, but before that stage syringe freely. 

 When planted in frames it should always be after the 

 bottom heat is "spent." We grow large quantities in 

 this way, using beds after they have been used for grow- 

 ing tomatoes and lettuce. 



The tubers or seedlings, after they have first been 

 transplanted into fiats, can be planted directly in the 

 soil or set in pots or flats. Keep the glass on till the 

 plants get a good start. I keep it on until the leaves 

 touch the glass, the soil being six or eight inches from 

 it ; then I remove the glass entirely. In this way I leave 

 them in full sunshine for the balance of the season, and 

 they are a mass of bloom from July till cut down by 

 frost. I have grown as strong plants in this way as I 

 ever saw. 



For bedding always use tubers. Seedlings will not be 

 satisfactory, as they commence flowering so late, and I 

 have yet to see an even bed of seedlings. Tubers for 

 bedding purposes are so cheap that there is no necessity 

 of using seedlings ; and here let me say that I think very 

 few amateurs will succeed in growing seedlings satisfac- 

 torily. I cannot see the force of Mr. Hallock's advice 

 not to buy seed before January 30th. Just as fresh and 

 good seed can be furnished November ist as at the date 

 he mentions, and the first sowings should be made in 

 January, as the young seedlings do much better before 

 the sun gets too strong. 



He also says to rub the tubers perfectly clean after 

 they become powder dry. I should advise shaking them 

 as clean as possible, but on no account rub them, as it 

 Injures the skin, which is very tender, and I believe it a 

 damage to rub off the roots. And strong tubers should 

 be planted at least twelve inches apart instead of six. 

 Mr. Watson speaks of the difficulty of handling during 

 the period of rest. There is no more trouble in keeping 

 them than there is a potato. After they have been dried 

 sufficiently for the flowering stem to separate freely from 



