THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
147 
June 0.] 
meat of the greenhouse; and, besides watering, giving 
them frequently a dash from the syringe; and especially 
looking after the jumping fellow, the thrip. When the 
shoots get nearly full-grown they should he exposed gra¬ 
dually to more air, and when well hardened set out of 
doors in a sheltered place, exposed to the sun, hut shel¬ 
tered from rains, and the pots protected from the heat, 
by any of the methods several times referred to. These 
plants, if removed to the greenhouse before very cold 
nights in autumn, will commence swelling their buds in 
the middle of winter. 
Plants blooming in May and June, and intended to 
do so in future, should be treated somewhat differently. 
Growth should be encouraged, the shoots be ripened, the 
ends of the shoots plumped, so as to show that the flower- 
buds for next season are set; and then the roots, as soon 
as possible, be examined and repotted, not giving largo 
shifts however. Those of this class that made their wood 
early, as some kinds do, almost cotemporaueously with 
the flower-buds expanding, I have treated just as I have 
recommended for early flowering ones, and with the best 
results. But supposing wo adopt the different methods 
according to these different circumstances, the principles 
of action are identical; and are these:—First, the pro¬ 
priety of not repotting a plant until the fresh growth 
commences. Second, the necessity of having a pot full 
of roots before the flowering season comes, if the flowers 
are wanted fine and large. Now plants flowering at an 
early period, and intended so to flower again, would not 
like being potted after their buds were set, for two rea¬ 
sons : first, the pots would not be filled with roots suffi¬ 
ciently early ; and secondly, from the increased range of 
food given, there would be a danger of the shoots, 
ripened or nearly so, starting again into growth, and 
thus spoiling the spring display of flowers, which is 
avoided by shifting early; as then the strength of the 
new compost is thrown into the new shoots, and the 
coolness of autumn, out of doors, and a north aspect, if 
there is the least sign of danger, will prevent a second 
growth. In the sccoud case, the late flowering ones are 
encouraged to .make their new wood sooner than if re¬ 
tarded with a shift; and then being shifted as soon as 
the buds are set in autumn, they have got the fall of the 
autumn and the whole of winter to fill the pots with 
roots, while plonty of air is admitted to their tops. 
Several matters might be summed up and referred to, 
which wc barely name. 
1. Azaleas, and camellias likewise, require to be en¬ 
couraged after blooming by a higher temperature, and 
iu order to produce their new growth. 
2. This encouragement may as well be given in the 
end of a common greenhouse, shut off on purpose, or 
with less air given, as under the shade of vines, or any 
other place. 
3. In encouraging this growth, Azaleas, oxcept the 
strongest growing, should only have clear waterings; 
anything else ought to be weak indeed. A solution of 
very old cow dung, from its cool nature, seems to answer 
best. Camellias, on the other hand, will drink guano 
water, or any other manure solution, like topers, though 
it should not be strong. 
4. In potting. Azaleas like lumpy heath mould host, 
with silver sand, and pieces of charcoal to assist drain¬ 
age. Peat and loam in equal portions do well for camel¬ 
lias, with a sixth part of very rotten cow dung. 
■ r >. In potting Camellias, we prefer doing it earlier than 
even for Azaleas, as, if dono late, and bloom is wanted 
early, the flowers will be small. Rather than repot late 
in autumn, we should top-dress, and repot the following 
season. With top-dressing, and manure waterings, and 
good drainage, they will flourish for years in the same 
pot. 
(i. In choosing sorts of Azaleas, look to the lists at the 
Metropolitan shows. 
7. In buying plants, get them young, stubby, in small , 
pots, and even these not crammed with roots. 
R. Fish. 
HOTHOUSE DEPARTMENT. 
EXOTIC STOVE PLANTS. 
Gesnehace.® —a family of plants that for beauty and 
usefulness is almost invaluable. When we first began 
gardening, some thirty years ago, they were scarcely j 
known. In 1759, a plant, the first of the order, named 
by the great Linnaeus— Gesnera tomentosa, was intro¬ 
duced from South America. It was followed by Gesnera- 
tubijlora in 1793 ; and that again by Gesnera. acaulis in 
1815. A still older plant of the same natural order 
exists to this day, namely, Gloxinia maculata, so named 
by Heritier; and which was introduced to Europe so 
long ago as 1739. No other Gloxinia reached this 
country till 1815, when the beautiful G. speciosa, the 
parent of numerous hybrids, was introduced. In 181(1 
two more species of Gesnera reached us, named, severally, 
G. aggregata (since lost) and G. bulbosa (still grown). 
From 1820 to the present time the importations were 
constantly adding to the stores of these beauties of our 
hothouses. When the late indefatigable Mr. Loudon 
first published his “ Hortus Brittanicus,” the now large 
family of Achimenes, belonging to this order, was totally 
unknown. Since that time, by the labours and persever¬ 
ing endeavours of such collectors as G. A. Skinner, Esq., 
who resided for several years in Guatemala, and Mr. 
Hartweg, the London Horticultural Society’s collector, 
these beautiful plants were introduced, and increased 
both in number of species and quantities of each, so that 
at this present time there is not a plant stove in the 
three kingdoms without more or less of them in cultiva¬ 
tion. Several genera, besides, have been added to the 
order, so that it is now a pretty extensive one, as the list : 
we shall givo presently of them will prove. 
In one respect this tribe of plants has a great ad- ; 
vantage over most others. By proper management i 
some species or other may be kept in flower nearly all 
the year round. In the Kew Gardens we witnessed 
Achimenes picta and Gesnera zebrina in the finest bloom 
in the January of this year ; and they were likely to con¬ 
tinue until others were brought forward to succeed them. 
The grand season, however, for bloom of the whole 
family is from June to October, just the season when 
greenhouses are most deficient of bloom, excepting from 
annuals, such as balsams, cockscombs, and the like. 
During these months they arc, if moderately managed, 
the greatest ornaments of both stoves and greenhouses. 
Culture. —Commence early in J anuary to start a portion 
of them into growth, by potting, and placing them in a 
moist heat. The best compost for them is a light turfy 
loam that has been frequently turned over to sweeten, 
and half-decayed tree-loaves, in equal parts, with as much 
sand as will give the compost a sandy character. For 
the stronger-growing species of Gesneras, Gloxinias, and 
Achimenes, the addition of one-eighth of very rotten dung 
will be useful. Drain the pots well, and proportion their 
size to the size of the roots. The genera Gesnera and 
Gloxinia will, when three or four years old, have tubers 
as much as from four to six inches in diameter. They ' 
then require pots full throe inches wider than the tubers. 
Shake off gently all the old soil, trim off all dead roots, 
and work the compost in amongst the living roots, 
leaving the crown of each tuber just level with the soil. 
The scaly roots of Achimenes may either be placed ; 
singly in 3^- inch pots, to be repotted after they have 
filled them with roots, or they may be, if plentiful, 
potted in wdde shallow pots, five, or six, or more, in each, 
according to the fancy of the cultivator. Either way 
1 they will flower admirably, if properly managed as to 
