538 
MESEMBRTANTHEMUM PYROP.EUM. 
flowers. There may be some readers, how- 
ever, who are unfamiliar with the routine 
followed in rearing annuals for summer decora- 
tion, and to such a brief sketch of the details 
will be useful : — The seeds should be sown in 
well-drained light sandy soil, in shallow pots 
or pans, and these latter plunged in a gentle 
hotbed until the seeds germinate : being 
small, the seeds should not have more soil — 
which must be fine — covered over them than 
would equal the thickness of a shilling. For 
early blooming a few seeds may be sown in 
February, but for the principal set of plants 
the middle of March will be early enough, 
and for a later autumn supply, others may be 
sown in the middle of April. Seed-pots 
should not be often watered, nor must they 
be suffered to become dry ; of course, in the 
earlier parts of the season, the moisture of a hot- 
bed would prevent them from drying rapidly, 
but this is not the case later in the season, 
when "the sun becomes powerful : a very good 
plan to retain the necessary moisture, is to 
prevent rapid evaporation, by placing a layer 
of loose damp moss on the surface ; and this 
moss may be removed occasionally — daily, if 
necessary, — and damped, and then again re- 
turned. Coverings of this kind must, of 
course, be removed when the seeds begin to 
vegetate, and from this time the necessary 
moisture must be kept up by applications 
from a fine-rosed watering-pot, the water 
being always used in a tepid state. TYhen 
the plants have formed two or three leaves, 
they may then be transplanted, either singly 
into small pots, or three at equal distances 
near the edge of a five-inch one, a light sandy 
soil being used. The plants must then be 
allowed to become established in the same 
temperature as they had been formerly grown ; 
and after this may be removed to a cooler 
frame, where they may receive rather more 
air, to prevent them from becoming weak and 
spindly ; or, if the season be advanced, they 
may be at once placed on the shelves of the 
greenhouse : in either case, however, they 
must have all the sun and light possible, and 
must be sparingly, though carefully and suf- 
ficiently, watered. As they grow they may 
have larger pots, but never require them of 
very large size : for the single plants six-inch 
pots will suffice ; and the next larger size 
will be proper for those planted three to- 
gether. At this final shifting they should 
receive richer and more holding soil than 
before ; a compost of equal parts light turfy 
loam, and well decayed leaf mould — that is, 
soil formed of rotted tree leaves — mixed with 
a portion, more or less, of sand, to render it 
porous, and prevent its running together from 
repeated waterings, will form a suitable me- 
dium for their roots. In other respects, they 
need little attention beyond keeping them in 
a light sunny position, and supplying them, 
as they require, with libations of pure soft 
tepid water. 
When plants are required for the flower- 
garden, the seed should be sown in a similar 
way about the end of March ; in this case, 
also, the young plants should be transplanted, 
and it is best to have them all singly in small 
pots, as this admits of a more satisfactory ar- 
rangement of them in planting out. They 
must be well established in their pots, and 
then well hardened in cool and cold frames 
progressively, so that about the end of May, 
or as soon as danger of frosts is past, they 
may be inured to full exposure : they are 
then to be turned out of the pots into the 
situations assigned, just as is done in the case 
of other plants raised in a similar way. A 
warm sunny spot must be chosen for them, 
or their beauty will not be developed ; 
nothing is better than a slope facing the south, 
and well sheltered on other sides. They look 
extremely well in small beds, or as edgings to 
larger ones, and also among rock-work if the 
surface is not too rugged, for being but of 
small stature they are, in the case alluded to, 
too much hidden from view. Those who 
have not the convenience necessary thus to 
raise the plant, may grow it to almost — per- 
haps quite — as perfect a condition, by depo- 
siting the seeds at once in the soil of the 
flower-garden, in the positions where the 
plants are required to bloom. They will not 
transplant well from one part of the open 
garden to another, unless when very young, 
and they are then liable to many casualties if 
disturbed, so that it is best to sow the seeds 
where the plants are required ; only the 
warmest, dry, well drained spots must be 
selected ; and some attention should be given 
to render the soil fine, and to make it lie even 
about the seeds. The degree of success at- 
tained will depend on the character of the 
season. 
Seeds may in general be obtained of the 
dealers, but in the case of delicate subjects, 
such as the present, it is desirable to make 
certain of one's own supply, as well also some- 
times to obtain the means of supplying others. 
For seed-bearing it is best to select a few 
plants, and pot them as already explained, and 
then to place them for the summer in a frame, 
where they may have a free circulation of air, 
protection from rains, and exposure to light 
and sun heat. About half a dozen, or half a 
score of the seed vessels may be allowed to 
grow, and then the remainder of the flowers 
produced must be kept picked off. The re- 
tained capsules will give a supply of seed, 
which, v, hen ripe, must be carefully gathered, 
dried, and preserved. 
