THE FLORA L WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
247 
Several of your readers will have remarked that if a hot sun 
succeed rainy weather, many of the plants begin to droop, and 
would soon die off if not shaded. The same effect is also produced 
when a bed previously shaded is suddenly exposed to the heat of the 
mid-day sun. If you find any plant thus affected, place a hand-glass 
over it, and form it into cuttings. But after all due care and 
attention have been bestowed, it will frequently be found that some 
of the plants fog off. This has been attributed to the wire-worm, 
but I have never found that pest at or in the roots of any pansy I 
have taken up, which I invariably do when any of the plants fall 
prostrate. Strength or freshness of the manure, and its being too 
retentive of moisture, have been assigned as other causes ; that this 
disease has been accelerated by them I have no doubt, but it cannot 
be the only reason, as they very frequently fog off in poor sandy 
soils. Perhaps some of your readers can suggest the true cause. 
Any person who may wish to send flowers for exhibition will be 
quite unable to compete successfully, unless he covers his beds at 
least a week previously to each show, to protect the plants from 
being battered by the wind or rain, or faded by the sun ; in hot 
weather it will prevent excessive evaporation, and in cold keep the 
temperature more uniform. The frame for the cover should be at 
least three or four feet above the bed in the centre, and supported at 
the four corners on posts at about eight inches from the surface, to 
allow the free circulation of air ; it may be made similar to a tulip 
frame. 
One of the greatest enemies the pansy-grower has to contend 
with is the slug ; during one night it will make as great ravages 
among the blossoms as will require a week to replace. The best 
method to rid yourself of these intruders is to water the bed with 
clear lime water during the evening, after a shower of rain (when 
they come out in great abundance) ; but any person wishing to 
show, must carefully search for them both morning and evening. 
They generally secrete themselves under the leaves or close to the 
roots of the plants. In order to guard as much as possible against 
depredations of slugs, etc., let your beds be edged with slate or 
stone, which affords no harbour for them, and always looks neat. 
There is only one other remark I would wish to make concerning 
the general management of these plants, namely, never to water 
your beds even in the driest season, but in its stead, if continued hot 
weather is expected, I will advise that fresh cow manure be placed 
round the base of eacli plant, which, by preventing too rapid evapo- 
ration, will be amply sufficient to preserve a due amount of moisture 
about the roots. For the propagation of old and known varieties 
about the middle of this month, take strong short-jointed cuttings 
from those plants which are the healthiest and have produced good 
flowers during the season, and strike them in a shady bed, made 
of equal parts of silver or sharp sand, leaf-soil, a little bog earth, 
and garden mould ; for the first few days they should be covered 
with a hand-glass, and shaded from the sun, but no protection 
will be required afterwards. When the cuttings are sufficiently 
rooted, which will be in about three week3 or a month, plant them 
August. 
