348 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



the small-flowered varieties. It is crimson in colour, free-flowering 

 and very neat in habit. Other good varieties are ' Gladiateur,' 

 crimson; 1 Lord Langton,' bright scarlet ; ' Major Hope/ light rose ; 

 and ' President Savoye,' pale yellow. 



Time will not permit me to give full details of the cultivation of 

 Begonias, and as the method of raising from seed is generally under- 

 stood, I will confine my remarks to the growing of plants from tubers 

 for conservatory decoration and for exhibition. They can be had in 

 bloom at any time from the middle of May until the end of October, 

 the tubers for May flowering being started in January, and later 

 batches according to the time it is desired to have them in bloom. 

 The best results are obtained from those started early in March. 

 These can be grown without much artificial heat, and much better 

 results can be obtained if the tubers start quietly and naturally than 

 when they are forced. A temperature of 60 degrees to 65 degrees is 

 warm enough. Boxes about three inches in depth should be used 

 in which to start them. These should be well drained by placing a 

 layer of crocks over the bottom, covering these with half-decayed 

 leaves. The soil should be light and porous, consisting of loam and 

 leaf-mould in equal parts, with a half part of sand. The tubers should 

 be buried to the level of the crown, and will require very little water 

 until they have started. It is a good plan to cover the boxes with 

 some sheets of brown paper. This will prevent evaporation and there 

 will be less danger of the tubers rotting through being over-watered. 

 When they are well started, they can be put into pots according to 

 their size, allowing about an inch of room around each. The soil for 

 this potting should be good fibrous loam three parts, leaf-mould two 

 parts, well-decayed manure one part, with sufficient coarse sand to 

 keep the compost open. Press the soil moderately firmly about the 

 tuber, which when finished should be just buried in the soil. Keep 

 the plants now as near the glass as possible, and in a nice light house 

 with a temperature of about 6o°. Give plenty of atmospheric moisture 

 and plenty of ventilation ; on bright days a light sprinkling with the 

 syringe will be beneficial. 



These conditions should be continued until the plants are in 

 bloom, when the syringing should be stopped. Begonias should be 

 shaded from bright sunshine when grown under glass ; and for this 

 purpose movable blinds made of No. 5 garden netting are the best 

 I have seen ; but if this is not easily obtainable a light shading should 

 be painted on the glass. They will be ready for their final shift when 

 the roots are found to be running round the sides of the pots and 

 before they get anything like pot-bound ; it is better to shift them 

 too soon than to let them become pot-bound. 



The soil for this, the final shift, may be a little richer, and should 

 consist of a similar compost to that used before, using rather less 

 leaf-mould and adding a 4-inch potful of Clay's Fertilizer, or other 

 good artificial compound, to each three bushels of soil. The compost 

 should not be too fine, and on no account should it be sifted. Do not 



