492 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 6, ISt 8. 
employed in the Palm house, for instance, have the greater portion of 
the time devoted to meals occupied in walking to and from their work. 
Possibly the difficulties in the way of a scheme like that suggested have 
been already considered and the project shelved as impracticable, but 
the fact remains quite patent to the outside public that the employes at 
Kew are not adequately provided for bodily, however well their mental 
improvement may be studied.—V eritas. 
CYCLAMENS AND THEIR TREATMENT. 
There is no plant so useful for decoration at this period of the year 
as Cyclamen persicum, yet it is seldom seen in first-rate condition. For 
this reason any hints will no doubt be valued, especially by amateurs; 
and as I have been very successful I venture to give the following brief 
directions, founded on the practice I have adopted for some time past. 
Sow the seed in pans at the end of July in a compost of finely sifted 
loam and silver sand with a small addition of leaf soil. Do not cover 
the seed, but simply lay it on the soil. Place the pots on a shelf in a 
damp place in the stove, and keep the soil moist through the winter. 
The seedlings will come up irregularly. Let them stay still the necessary 
quantity are ready, then prick them off, about twenty into 6-inch pots. 
This time the same soil will do, but the top must have an eighth of an 
inch depth of silver sand on the surface. Constantly damp them. Stand 
them in an early vinery at the end and close to the glass. When large 
enough place them in 3-inch pots. Stand them in a forcing pit on ashes. 
Keep the plants free from insects and well damped. When fairly rooted 
transfer them into 4 and 5-inch pots, and place them in a cool frame. 
Syringe them twice a day, and shade on hot days. Keep the flowers 
picked off till they are taken in the houses in October. The soil for the 
last potting should be loam and dried cowdung only.—A Foreman, 
CULTURE OF LILIUM AURATUM. 
That the golden-rayed Lily of Japan is not generally well under¬ 
stood as regards cultural requirements is evident from the many 
weakly plants to be met with ; also by the enormous importations that 
arrive in this country every season from their native habitation, and 
which, did they receive the proper treatment, would make them as 
common as could be wished, and instead of a good stock being rarely 
met with, they would certainly be more frequent. I think I am 
right in stating that the old practice of drying-off these handsome 
Lilies and placing them under stages in greenhouses until spring 
happily is more the exception now than the rule, and so it should be, 
for no practice could be more adverse to the well-doing of the plants. 
Nothing could have done better than some bulbs we bought in about 
three years ago, and which were at once potted in suitable-sized pots, 
in a mixture of peat, loam, and well-decayed cow manure, and suf¬ 
ficient sharp sand to keep the whole porous, the pots being well 
drained. Preference is given the first season for pots rather small 
than too large, as they do not appear to make so much root the first 
season, particularly when potted late. They were then stood in a 
frame, watered to settle the soil, and when the surface had become a 
little dry they were covered with cinder ashes to the deplh of 6 or 
$ inches, and then covered with shutters to throw off rain. In this 
position they remained till started in spring, when they were removed 
to a light position in a cold pit, and kept as close to the glass as 
possible. Constant attention is needed, for when they commence 
producing their heads they move rapidly even in the coolest position, 
and would soon damage themselves against the glass. No frame 
■unless very deep will accommodate them very long, so that some 
■should be moved to the greenhouse if there be such at command, and 
others placed in any unheated orchard house or similar structure, and 
a third batch may be plunged out of doors in a sheltered position to 
succeed them. When the plants have reached about 12 or 15 inches 
high, roots will be found proceeding from the base of the stem. These 
should be carefully preserved by placing some turfy loam or peat 
around them, which the roots will penetrate and thus be conducted 
into the pot, otherwise they will perish, much to the detriment of 
the present season’s flowers. With the natural propensity of some 
kinds to flower earlier than others, and the different treatment 
described, will give a succession for at least three months without 
in any way unduly drawing them. 
After the flowering is over they may be placed outside, and here 
we come to the most important part of their culture, as it is on this 
point that so many have been unsuccessful in the culture of this Lily. 
It is by no means uncommon to see these Lilies after they have done 
flowering turned over on their sides, and subjected to what is termed 
■“ drying off,” a practice which cannot be too severely condemned. 
The proper way is to stand them in a moderately warm position under 
a wall or hedge, where they can receive a fair amount of sunshine, 
for at no time of their growth are they more benefited by its influence. 
They must be carefully and regularly watered, never at any time 
being allowed to suffer for the want of it. When the stems have 
assumed a yellowish hue and the leaves fallen from them they should 
be turned out and examined, and if all has gone on right the pots 
will be found to be packed with young growing healthy roots ; and at 
this stage they should be potted carefully, giving them a moderate 
shift into well-drained pots, and working a similar compost around 
them to that recommended for their first potting. They are then set 
in a frame, watered, and in due course covered with ashes and the 
shutters placed over them, when they are free from all anxiety till 
the following spring. Under this treatment we have found the bulbs 
increase fourfold both in strength and numbers. 
Some cultivators keep their plants under glass after they have 
done flowering, but I am of opinion that when such could be practised 
is more the exception than the rule, as most employers like to see 
something attractive in their glass structures ; at least, such is the 
case here, and if we had plenty of room under glass we should not 
think of placing our stock of Lilies there to ripen. Glazed lights are 
so useful for many purposes, and are not always equal to the demands 
upon them, that it is the more pleasant to know that these beautiful 
Lilies can be preserved for more than half the year without their aid. 
I am of opinion that the shutters are advantageous, as they do not 
unduly excite the bulbs in the dull months of the year as does glass 
when closed over them.—C. Warden. 
RETUBBING LARGE PLANTS. 
Having some large Camellias that are too heavy to be lifted in the 
ordinary manner, and as these need fresh tubs, I shall be glad to know 
Eig. 97 
the best manner in which to proceed. Any information you can give 
will be very acceptable.—W. Ellerby. 
[On this subject Mr. Van Hulle, of the Ghent Botanical Gardens, has 
described a plan that he has adopted satisfactorily as follows :—Take 
two strong posts, A and B, so securely stayed at their base that there can 
be no chance of their upsetting. Set them at a suitable distance from 
each other, and place between them the plant to be retubbed, or, what 
amounts to the same thing, take the uprights to the plant. The old tub 
or box is removed, the ball seen to, the stem carefully wrapped round to 
prevent injury to the bark, and the collar E put on. This can be 
tightened to any desired extent by the four screws shown in the 
engraving. Lastly, the two ends of the collar are slipped into the 
grooves in the uprights, which, as will be perceived, are also pierced 
with holes. The apparatus having been prepared for action, two men 
with a pole, or even one with a long lever, will raise the collar, and 
therefore the plant, say to the point C, and an iron pin is there pushed 
into the hole under the collar ; the plant is then raised to D, and so on 
alternately. In a few minutes two, or at most four, men can thus raise 
up plants of the largest size. To prevent any danger of over-balancing, 
a strong stake has been put to the plant, and of sufficient length to slide 
