266 
ON CALCEOLARIAS. 
led perennials. I have no doubt but all the British hybrids will 
stand well in a cold frame, or in any situation protected from heavy 
autumnal rains and intense frost. When planted in light soil, most, 
if not all of them, will live through the winter, having no other protec¬ 
tion than an inverted flower-pot, full of dry litter standing over them. 
It is true, these will never flower so early or elegantly, (at least none 
of the sorts I am acquainted with) as when they have had a good win¬ 
ter protection. My calceolarias, last summer, were the admiration of 
all who saw them; and from the repeated enquiries as to my manner 
of treatment, by persons far sujoerior to myself in practical knowledge, 
I have been induced to forward you the following remarks.—The Cal¬ 
ceolaria Youngii may be grown to the height of three feet or more, 
with 150 to 200 flowers in perfection at one time, and in this state it is 
a most enchanting object. But to the culture,—I will suppose that in 
December you have good plants for blooming the following year, and 
that they are in forty-eight sized pots, standing in any airy part of 
the greenhouse. As soon as the roots push through the holes at the 
bottoms, place them in pots a size larger, being careful to disturb 
the roots as little as possible. In a month, the roots will again be 
making their appearance, repot them again as before. About the 
beginning of March, the roots will again have progressed, and you 
may place the plants in large pots, the size we here call half-gallons, 
(twelves). Particular attention should now be paid to air and water; 
always keeping the soil just moist, but never allowing it to be satura¬ 
ted, which must be considered a rule at all times. About the end of 
April or beginning of May, remove the plants from the greenhouse 
to a cold frame, for ten days or a fortnight, to harden them gradually, 
previous to being placed in the situations where they are intended to 
bloom. If they are to flower in pots, the size used is what we call 
peck pots, and these should be well drained with potsherds according 
to the hardness of the pots; and afterwards filled with the follow¬ 
ing compost: viz. two parts of fully decomposed stable manure, one 
part of leaf or vegetable mould, and one part of fine white sand, or 
i n the absence of that, one part of sandy-peat. Mix these well to¬ 
gether, and beat the compost fine, rubbing it through the hands to 
break the lumps; for this process will answer much better than sift¬ 
ing. This compost is suitable for C. youngii, farinosa, fuscata, picta, 
picta pallida, Atkinsonii and Morrisoni. 
The polyantha is, according to my taste, one of the most interest¬ 
ing of the yellow flowering species; the individual flowers are not so 
large as some of the others, but the very elegant habit of the plant, 
and the profusion of flowers it bears, render it very striking. I had 
