ALSTRJ3MERIAS. 
57 
in the open ground. Those of the latter class need only be 
planted in rich earth, and left to themselves, with the single pre¬ 
cautionary measure of throwing a little loose litter over the bed 
in winter, to break off the worst of the frost. 
The more tender kinds designed for flowering in pots or for 
planting in the flower-garden through the summer, should be 
started in March or April by repotting the tubers and allowing 
them water; they grow best in a soil composed of loam, leaf- 
mould, and decayed manure, adding sand in proportion to the 
texture of the mass ; a single root should be placed in a four-inch 
pot, and an ordinary garden frame without artificial heat may 
receive them ; they soon come up, and then must be watered 
regularly, and have plenty of air. In May, those for the beds in 
the open air may be transferred to their places, or, if desirable, 
can be kept a month longer in pots ; but those intended to bloom 
under protection, must be repotted, and as a dense head of flowers 
is then required, it will be well to place three or four roots toge¬ 
ther in one large pot, say of ten inches diameter; the soil at this 
shifting may be made a little stronger by using less leaf-mould, as 
it will be found that, though they require to be constantly moist, 
they are not fond of repeated applications, one good watering in 
a week being better for them than a little given every day; in hot 
dry weather, just before they begin to flower, it will benefit them 
much to sprinkle the foliage every evening with the syringe, as it 
encourages their growth, and keeps down insects, to whose attacks 
they are rather liable when under glass, especially of green flies 
and red spider; the first are easily cleared off by fumigating with 
tobacco, and sprinkling with water as recommended will prevent 
the spread of the other pests. 
As the stems advance, they will require to be supported with 
small sticks, which allows a tasteful arrangement of the head to 
be made, and, by spreading them out equally on all sides, a cir¬ 
cular outline may be given, and the blossoms will ultimately be 
seen all collected to nearly the same level; those in the open 
ground will be equally improved in appearance by tying, or the 
branches may, if necessary, be bent in any direction so as to fill 
the space allotted; beyond this little else is required, and in 
return a splendid show of flowers will be presented through the 
greater part of summer and autumn. When the stems decay, the 
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