THE FLORAL MAGAZINE. 
poses ; with this difference, that Pelargoniums make 
their principal growth, or should do so, before Christ- 
mas, the shrubby Calceolaria after. 
Early plants, obtained in the way above mentioned, 
if healthy at the commencement, well arranged, and 
kept well at their work, will make large specimens by 
June and July; and whether required for show, or 
for the decoration of the conservatory, will be most 
useful. 
We should like to see some one taking up these 
plants again — for a few varieties are yet to be met 
with — and setting themselves to improve them, and 
make them once more popular. We occasionally hear 
complaints that those who make a business of im- 
proving the herbaceous Calceolaria are doing it at the 
expense of constitution in the plants. It would there- 
fore be well if the blood of the more robust-growing 
shrubby Calceolarias were introduced into our best 
strains of herbaceous Calceolarias, so as to impart 
to them added vigour. We think this will soon 
become a necessity; and the sooner it is attempted 
the better. 
AURICULAS IN FEBRUARY. 
At present the plants are frost-bound ; but no 
cultivator need fear for his pets ; for so long as the 
soil is moderately dry, and the frost dry also, no harm 
can come to the plants. Quite small seedling plants 
have been frozen hard for days this winter ; but they 
are perfectly safe; and as soon as the weather becomes 
soft and balmy, they will commence to grow, and be 
little, if any, the worse for the experience. 
So soon as this change in the weather comes the 
plants must be top-dressed. The soil used for this 
purpose should be prepared now, and sweetened by 
the frost, so as to get rid of injurious insects; and the 
sooner the plants can be so treated the better. In 
removing the soil down to the roots, care must be 
taken not to injure them, for these will be the main 
feeders of the plants during the blooming period. 
SOWING SEED OF TUBEROUS-ROOTED 
BEGONIAS. 
Messrs. John Laing and Co. recommend that the 
seed be sown in January, February, and March, in 
well-drained pots or pans, filled with finely-sifted 
leaf-mould mixed with a little silver-sand ; wet the soil 
and sow the seed carefully, covering with a very slight 
sprinkling of dry silver-sand to prevent the seed from 
shifting ; place in a gentle heat, and cover with glass 
to prevent evaporation. Should the soil get dry, 
water very carefully with the finest rose, the seed 
being so small that it is easily washed out with care- 
less watering. When the seedlings are fit to handle, 
prick them out into pans or small pots, repotting them 
as they advance in growth. 
TILL AND SI A LINDENI GENUINA. 
The plant from which our illustration of this hand- 
some Bromeliad was taken was one flowering at Mr. 
William Bull’s establishment, at Chelsea. We have to 
regret the omission of any mention of this in our de- 
scriptive notes of the plant. 
GALVANIZED IRON WIRES FOR FRUIT-TREE 
WALLS. 
It is not without reason many gardeners are found 
complaining of the injurious effects to their wall-trees 
from the employment of these wires for training pur- 
poses. When used both for Vines and Peaches, and 
whether under glass or in the open air, the wood be- 
comes cankered and damaged at the points where the 
branches overlay the wires. The result is that the 
shoots are eaten through, and any fruit on them is lost 
entirely. It is thought that the action of the sun on 
the wires causes the mischief; and if this be true, 
what might be expected in a hot summer, when so 
much harm was done during the wet and cool summer 
of last year ? Some gardeners are removing their wires 
and replacing with others of a different material ; others 
are painting them over, in order to try the effect of 
the covering. 
Thrips. — Nelson ascribed his victories to "always 
being a quarter of an hour before his time ;” and this 
habit of forestalling enemies is a very desirable one 
for cultivators to follow, especially when dealing with 
those troublesome insects, called thrips. One may 
neglect scale and bug for a few days with no 
other immediate result than an increase in their 
numbers ; but to let thrips get the upper hand means 
destruction to the foliage, and a lowering of the vitality 
of the plants. These little matters require to be 
looked after now, when fires are necessary in plant- 
houses. Tobacco fumigation is the best remedy, to 
be followed up in bad cases, on alternate evenings, till 
three fumigations have been given . — The Garden. 
