266 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



richer compost is now desirable. To two parts of -sweet, 

 sound loam, add one part each of good leaf soil and powdered 

 dry cow manure with sand, and, if the loam is devoid of fibre , 

 " burn bake " added. Pot moderately firmly, taking care not to 

 damage the leaves nor to unduly bury the corms. Keturn them 

 to either an ash-covered staging, standing them close together at 

 first, or, if shelves only are available, stand the pots on green moss, 

 and keep this moist. In the case of late-raised plants it will be 

 advisable to transfer them direct from the potting bench to 

 shallow frames on a mild or nearly exhausted hot-bed, placing 

 abundance of ashes or else boards under them to keep worms out 

 of the pots. In either case gentle heat, plenty of light, but no 

 strong sunshine on the plants, a moist atmosphere, and the usual 

 round of spraying are details that must be observed. 



During the hottest part of the summer all the plants ought 

 to be thinly arranged in shallow pits or frames sloping away 

 from the south. With me they thrive well in a shallow pit 

 against the west wall of a long span-roofed vinery. Wherever 

 located, the plants must be religiously shaded from strong 

 sunshine, ought not to be exposed to drying winds, and should 

 be sprayed twice on clear days. Be careful not to leave 

 the shading on when it can very well be dispensed with, and 

 avoid crowding the plants, as they are much more ornamental 

 when the leaf-stalks are not unduly lengthened out. In August, 

 not later, some of the strongest plants may be shifted into 7-in. 

 pots, and if everything has gone on satisfactorily, this size will 

 be found none too large. Any flowers that show colour on the 

 plants much before October should be drawn away. 



Treatment during the Flowering Period. — As a rule 

 late in September is soon enough to house Cyclamen ; and this 

 brings us to another difficulty which trade growers do not share 

 with private gardeners. The majority of the latter have no light 

 span-roofed houses with a central pathway and convenient side- 

 stages for their plants during the winter. But this is what is 

 wanted especially if large batches are grown. But because they 

 cannot have just what they want is no reason why gardeners 

 should muddle their Cyclamen among a variety of other green- 

 house plants. They must be kept clear of everything else. Let 

 them share a side-stage in a warm greenhouse with cinerarias and 

 primulas, if need be, at the coolest end. All of these plants are 



