THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 
297 
GESNERAS. 
HEX well-managed these are very handsome plants, which, 
owing to their accommodating habits, are particularly 
well-suited for amateurs, or persons having but small 
house-room. G. zebnua, which I need not say is one 
of the best of them, may be bad in bloom at almost any 
period of the year ; but it is most useful for autumn and winter 
flowering, and 1 or this purpose few plants are more useful. 
Like Achimenes, Gesneras increase sufficiently fast, by means 
of their underground tubers, to render artificial propagation un- 
necessary, at least in the case of ordinary growers. If it is desired 
to have flowering specimens in autumn and early winter, the tubers 
should be carefully separated from the soil in which they have been 
wintered, about the beginning of March, and planted rather thickly 
on the surface of well-dramed pots or pans, filled to within about 
three inches of their surface with any light peaty soil, from which 
it will be easy to separate the roots without injury, and covered two 
inches deep. Give a gentle watering, to settle the soil about the 
tubers, and place them in a w arm, growing temperature of about 
65° or 70°. Until the plants appear above the soil no more water 
should be given than may be necessary to preserve the soil in a 
most healthy condition. As soon as the plants are from an inch to 
two inches high they should be separated and repotted. I use 
shallow eight-inch pots, and place five plants in each ; hut the 
number of plants in a pot shi uld be regulated by the taste and 
convenience of the cultivator. With proper management one placed 
in a pot will form a very fine specimen ; but, to effect this, more 
care and time are required than when five plants are put into a pot, 
and the latter form larger specimens than it is possible to obtain 
by having only one plant. After potting, keep the atmosphere close 
and moist, and give very little water at the root until they start 
into growth. 
hen the pots are moderately well-filled with roots, shift into 
the flowering-size. For single specimens ten-inch pots will be 
sufficiently large; whin three plants are used, twelve-inch pots will 
be necessary, and thirteen-inch pots in the case of five plants. 
Keep close and m ust, and carefully avoid over- watering till the 
roots can penetrate the fresh soil. A high temp- rature during 
summer is rather injurious than beneficial in the culture of this 
plant ; 50° or (J0° at night, allowing it to range 10° or 15° higher 
with sun-heat, will be most conducive to strong vigorous growth, 
and the production of handsome specimens. The plants should be 
placed near the glass, so that they may receive as much light as can 
be afforded them, but it will be found necessary to slightly shade 
them during bright sunshine, and the atmosphere should be maiu- 
tained iu a thoroughly moist state ; but this must not be effected by 
excluding air and close shading, otherwise the plants will assume a 
sickly, drawn appearauce, and the foliage will be thin and ill- 
coloured. The shoots may be neatly staked, as soon as they are 
October. 
