110 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[May 22 . 
a leaf and stalk only, they must he placed under a bell- 
glass or hand-light, and be either set upon a heated 
surface of sand, coal ashes, or pounded charcoal, or the 
pots may be plunged into a heated bed of tanners bark, 
with the cuttings covered by a bell glass fitted within 
the edge of the pot. Shade from bright sunshine, and 
as soon as they appear to be growing, give air for an 
hour in the early part of the day. If they bear this 
without flagging, give an hour’s air in the evening In 
a week or two, increase the air to two hours, morning 
and evening, for a week longer, then examine them to 
find out if they are rooted, and as soon as that is so, pot 
; them off singly, immediately, into what are called small 
60’s, which are pots nearly two inches across. Replace 
them under hand lights for two weeks, keeping them 
close and warm. In this place they will soon form 
fresh roots, and should then be gradually inured to stand 
the full light of the sun, and then be placed on a shelf 
near the glass in the stove, duly attended to with the 
necessary quantity of water, heat, and air, till they re¬ 
quire re-potting. 
By Seed .—All the tuberous rooted kinds of Begonia 
may be increased most successfully by seeds. When 
they are so raised they form the best plants. This is 
more particularly the case with the new Begonia cinna- 
barina. Though they will all propogate by cuttings, 
the plants so raised are more liable to perish in winter 
than if raised from seed. Gather the seed as soon as it 
is ripe, sow part immediately in pots filled with the 
compost, sifting a little very fine to cover the surface, 
press it gently down with a circular piece of smooth 
wood, scatter the seed upon it, and over the seed put 
the thinnest possible covering of the finely sifted soil, 
give a watering through a fine-nosed watering-pot, and 
place the pots in a heat of 75°. The seeds will quickly 
germinate, and should then be placed near the glass 
shading from bright sun. Water must be given, but 
very carefully, or the young plants will fog off. Keep 
them growing as long as possible, till the short days 
arrive, then they will begin to show symptoms of ripen¬ 
ing off. Allow the leaves to turn yellow, and p>ick them 
carefully off as they decay. When they are all gone, 
give no more water, and keep the seedlings through the 
winter in a dormant dry state till spring, in a moderate 
temperature, say 55° to 60°. In March, give a little 
water, and increase the heat to 70°. If all has gone on 
right, the young tubers will then begin to grow again, 
and as soon as they have attained two or three leaves, 
pot them off singly into the smallest pots, in fresh com¬ 
post well drained. Continue to repot as the roots reach 
the sides of the pots, and it is very likely some of the 
strongest will flower the same year. 
The remainder of the seed should be sown in March, 
if any accident or other cause prevents those sown the 
preceding year from growing. Treat the seedlings from 
the spring-sowing exactly in the same manner, excepting 
a few of the strongest, which may be potted as soon as 
they are fit, and then will make strong bulbs that are 
sure to flower the year following. 
By Division .—Some of the dwarf kinds, and some of 
the tuberous-rooted ones, may be increased by division, 
particularly B. hydrocotylifolia, B. ramentacea, B. Marti- 
ana, and B. Evansiana. Those that are not tuberous-rooted 
| should have a portion of roots to the divisions. When 
they are divided, place them, after they are potted, under 
i a hand-light in heat, shading and keeping them close 
for a week or two till new roots are formed; then inure 
them to bear the full light and air by degrees, and after¬ 
wards treat them as recommended for the cutting at the 
same age. 
Summer Culture : Potting .—The right time for potting 
is about the end of February. Previously to commencing 
this necessary operation, have the compost placed in a 
warm shed to air and become just dry enough. Pre¬ 
pare the pots, if new, by steeping for an hour in tepid 
water, and then set them in a proper place to dry ; if 
old, let them be clean washed in tepid water, and set to 
dry likewise. Have the drainage material clean, dry, 
and warm also. When these are fit to use, commence 
potting. As this is a season when the greater part of 
the stove-plants require the same operation, the proper 
quantity of these potting materials should be in a state 
of readiness. Then bring the plants, a few at a time, to 
the potting bench, and give them a liberal shift, draining 
the pots, as described above, for those for cuttings. The 
shrubby varieties should now be pruned and tied out, so 
as to form neat bushy plants. Every stem and leaf- 
mould be clean washed with a sponge or soft brush. 
This will clear off the insects, if any, with the dirt and 
dust; then give a gentle watering, and return them to 
their place in the stove. The tuberous-rooted species 
should be brought out from their resting place, exa¬ 
mined, dead ones thrown away, and living ones potted 
into pots of a proportionate size to the tubers, covering 
them about half an inch deep. Give these no water for 
a week after potting, and then a very gentle one. When 
! the shoots begin to make their appearance, a little more 
I water may be given, and gradually increase the supply 
as the plants advance in growth. The heat proper for 
them in this stage is, by day, 60° to 65°; by night, 55° 
will be sufficient, the thing to aim at in this early 
season being to grow them slowly, so that they may make 
roots previously to being stimulated by a high tempera¬ 
ture to grow rapidly. If a great heat is applied at the 
first, the shoots will have nothing to exist upon but the 
juices contained in the wood or tuber in existence at the 
time, the shoots will, in consequence, be weak, the leaves 
pale, and the life even of the plants endangered. Nature 
herself points out to us that a low temperature, at the 
first, is the best for the vegetable kingdom. We have a 
winter for rest, a spring to commence to grow slowly, 
and the summer to advance with vigour in the work of 
annual growth, and then the autumn to gradually bring 
on the period of rest. Even in the hottest parts of the 
world there is a variation of seasons approximating, in 
a degree, to these seasons of growth and repose ; and 
the cultivator, if he wishes to succeed, must not deviate 
from Nature’s laws. But to return to potting. As soon 
as the pots are filled with fresh roots, give the plants a 
second shift. This will generally be sufficient for one 
season. If fine specimens for exhibition or ornamental 
purposes are required, a third shift will be advisable. 
Six weeks’ time, or thereabouts, according to the state of 
the plants, may be allowed between each shift. The 
proper treatment, with regard to watering, giving mois¬ 
ture to the air, &c., must be daily attended to; the par- j 
ticulars we need not repeat, as we have repeatedly ! 
given them in treating of other stove plants. The heat i 
in summer should be from 65° to 75° by day, and may, 
with advantage, be allowed to fall to 60° by night. 
Winter Culture .—When the days begin to shorten, . 
the plants must have less stimulants in the shape of 
water and heat. The tuberous species must be allowed j 
to go to rest completely, and should have water given to ; 
them only just sufficient to prevent the bulbs from be¬ 
coming too soft or mealy. A shelf in a dry, cool part of I 
the stove is a good wintering place for them. The 
shrubby ones should have no more water given them j 
than will keep them from flagging. An exception to 
this rule, in a degree, must be followed with such species 
of Begonia as flower in winter or early spring. This 
exception applies more especially to Begonia manicata, 
B. parvifolia, and some others, which may be easily j 
known by their not flowering through the summer. 
T. Appleby. 
