THE ELOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 
205 
the flowers should be carefully shaded from bright sunshine as their 
beauty soon fades unless this is attended to. After flowering, the 
shoots must be cut back, the plants repotted, etc., as already recom- 
mended, taking care, however, not to over-pot, and, with careful 
attention, large handsome specimens will be obtained in the course 
of a few years. The only suitable soil for this genus is good, light, 
rich turfy peat, which should be broken up rather fine, and well 
intermixed with about one-fourth its bulk of clean silver-sand, and 
a small portion of lumpy bits of charcoal. 
BEGONIA FUCHSIOIDES. 
MONG many favourites of our plant-houses, few are 
more deserving of attention than the Fuchsia-like 
Begonia. Its graceful habit, the brilliant colour of the 
flowers, the short time required to have plants in a 
blooming state, render it worthy of universal culti- 
vation. To those with whom winter-flowering plants are in demand, 
this Begonia will be found indispensable, and when well-grown and 
bloomed, it cannot fail to be generally admired. 
I aim at having the plant in flower the whole, or, at least, the 
greater part of the year; and to secure this, it is necessary to pro- 
pagate at two different seasons. In the first instance, cuttings are 
obtained in the beginning of February, selecting healthy pieces, such 
as are not over full of sap, and which are rather firm ; these strike 
freely, inserted rather thickly around the sides of five-inch pots, and 
plunged in a close, warm frame, where the bottom-heat is about 
75° or 80°. Any light sandy soil will answer. I generally use 
equal parts of silver-sand and leaf-mould, the latter passed through 
a fine sieve, and thoroughly mixed with the sand. When the 
cuttings are well rooted, which will be the case in the course of a 
month, they should be potted singly in five-inch pots, and replaced 
in the propagating frame, and if they can have the assistance of a 
gentle bottom heat all the better. When the pots become filled 
with roots, shift into eight-inch ones, and place the plants in a shady 
corner of the stove, or wherever it may be convenient, provided a 
temperature of from G0 Q to 65° is maintained, and a moist atmo- 
sphere is kept up ; but unless they occupy a shady situation, it will 
be necessary to screen them from the mid-day suu, as this species is 
rather impatient of bright sunshine; and if thus exposed, it loses 
that fine, glossy appearance which the foliage presents when in 
vigorous health. 
When pots become filled with roots, a little clear manure water 
will be beneficial, and they should be syringed with pure water, 
morning and evening. By the middle of June they will require a 
final shift into thirteen-inch pots, and should be encouraged to make 
vigorous growth. With regard to stopping, they merely require to 
have any over-luxuriant shoot stopped when it has attained the 
July. 
