THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, August 28, 1860. 
327 
stage; Mignonette sown at the end of July ; Primula sinensis; 
Salvia fulgens and splendens ; Violets, Neapolitan, Tree and 
Russian. 
In windows of sitting-rooms may bo had Hyacinths, Nar¬ 
cissuses, Jonquils, Tulips, Musk, and Lily of the Valley, 
forced. 
Leucojum vernum; Scillas, Crocuses, Snowdrops, &c., slightly 
accelerated after the flower-buds were visible ; Scarlet Geraniums, 
and Unique Geraniums ; Violets, of kinds ; Mignonette, Chinese 
Primroses, Cyclamens, and common Polyanthuses and Prim¬ 
roses, and single Wallflowers that had been kept under protection. 
Shrubs should chiefly be confined to Camellias, Daphnes, 
C'oronillas, and China Roses. 
Other windows might have the stock of sweet Geraniums. 
Plorist and fancy Pelargoniums, Fuchsias, Primroses coming on 
in succession, &c. Next, what shall I say to our correspondent’s 
inquiry as to what requires to be done now and hereafter to 
obtain all t his —what retard and what accelerate ? To do that 
effectually would require half a volume, and then would at best 
be little better than repeating an oft-told tale. In a short article 
I will endeavour to glance at a few salient points, which may be 
considered the most timely. 
The first thing to be done, then, if you want a fine display at 
Christmas and the new year, is to get in a supply of good bulbs 
as early as you can get them. After you have stipulated as to 
price, it will be souud policy to leave the selection of the bulbs 
to the respectable firm that you may deal with, as their practised 
eye will single out what woidd be likely to bloom earliest. Even 
then, however, if you wished a score of Hyacinths in bloom on 
"Christmas day, and as many pots of early Tulips, you would 
require to have at least three score pots of each to choose from. 
It is often recommended to pot these bulbs at different times 
from the end of August to October, in order to have a succession 
of bloom; but when I used to grow bulbs, I found I had plenty 
of succession by potting all as soon as I could get them, and 
then removing the forwardest in succession to the forcing-pit. 
Even if you plant at this period a score of Hyacinths of the 
same kind, and the bulbs as much alike as possible, there will be 
a considerable difference in their rooting and throwing up bloom. 
This, on the premises adverted to above, is often an advantage if 
you do not decline having a fair number of bulbs. A four-inch 
pot will do for a nice Hyacinth bulb, and a five-inch for a strong 
Narcissus, and a four or five-inch pot for three of the Van Thol 
and other early Tulips. Sometimes I have found these Tulip 
bulbs come irregularly, just like the Hyacinths ; and, therefore, I 
used to start the Tulips in a bed or box before potting them, 
and then selected them as equal as possible, so that, whatever the 
number of bulbs in a pot, they should all bloom and fade about 
the same time. These matters settled, use rich sandy loam, and 
leave a little of the bulb above the soil. Then select a dry, 
elevated place out of doors, and there place your pots, and cover 
with six inches of ashes, old tan, or anything of that kind, so 
that the bulbs will slowly imbibe moisture, and the roots be 
protruded. Heavy rains should be avoided by covering the bed. 
A dampish, dark cellar is a good substitute; and the bottom of a 
cupboard is also good, if the floor is kept dampish, and a sprink¬ 
ling of damp moss is kept over the bulbs. No watering will be 
needed to the soil, but the damp ground and the dampish cover¬ 
ing will give all the moisture that the bulbs need. 
Managed by either of these modes, by November many of the 
pots will be crammed with roots, and the flower-stem be showing 
from the bulb. Select the forwardest of these to accelerate by 
forcing. It is no use trying forcing before this rooting takes 
place. The front of a hotbed, with a bottom heat rising from 
65 ’ to 75°, and a top heat commencing with 50°, and rising to 
65’, is the best place for them. If placed anywhere in the bed, 
the glass must be shaded from sunshine until the young leaves 
have become quite green. It is best to plunge the pot a little at 
first, and then to the rim ; hut prevent the roots getting out at 
the bottom. Under such circumstances little water will be needed 
until the flower-stem is rising well, though, of course, the soil 
should not be dry; but if the plunging medium is moist, it is 
best as yet not to saturate the soil. Sometimes with all this 
care the flower-stem remains stumpy and does not rise well. A 
pot of the same size put over it, leaving the hole in the bottom 
open, will often induce it to rise. We prefer, however, small 
brown-paper funnels, with just the smallest hole in the top. This 
confines a moist atmosphere and a high temperature about the 
stem, and causes it to rise and give room for the florets to expand 
freely. If the stem lengthens too much, give more air and lift 
the pot out of the plunging medium. When the florets are 
opening, raise the pot out of tho bed, and in a few days remove 
to the greenhouse or window. Some of our friends, with nothing 
but their cupboards and their kitchen fire, manage to have 
Hyacinths early in January, and distribute some to their friends ; 
but they attend to them with care and nicety, and make a little 
saw-dust and warm water the substitute for the hotbed. So 
much for what is timely, as preparatory. Now for a brief 
running comment. 
Ardisia crenulata is the house winter Holly plant. It is almost 
always in bloom; but that is nothing, it is never hardly without 
its layers of red berries. Grown as a small standard, it gives a 
lively appearance to a house, and will stand some time in. the 
sitting-parlour window. Treatment easy and simple. 
Begonia fachsioides. —Keep growing vigorously until the end of 
September, then give more air and full exposure to all the light 
possible, and less water; and ere long it and many of its compeers 
so treated will be a mass of bloom in winter. 
The Epiphyllums. —Water freely until the end of September, if 
the weather is sunny, then give all the sun possible, and curtail 
watering, and even when in bloom the soil should not be satu¬ 
rated. A very moist atmosphere causes the blooms to rot. A 
warm greenhouse suits it best when in bloom. 
The Eranthemum, to produce its rich blue little flowers in 
abundance, should be grown freely in peat and loam and plenty 
of heat until September ; then gradually give more air and less 
moisture, and it will bloom freely for several months in winter. 
AEchmea, Bilbergia, and Tillandsia. —Keep growing in a moist, 
high temperature until towards the end of September. Keep 
drier and more airy, and give less water afterwards. In No¬ 
vember turn the plants topsy turvy several times, to get rid of 
any drip that might lodge in the centre like a Pine Apple. The 
comparative dryness will cause the flower-stem to start and grow 
strong. 
Cannas frequently are very beautiful at this season. After 
fine summers they do best when planted out in a warm border, 
to be potted and housed in October. Those kept in the house 
should have little water in November before the flower-stems 
appear. 
Euphorbia jaequinicejlora. —Encourage by heat and moisture 
until the end of August. Only in such seasons as this give no more 
water than the plant can manage, or it will be apt to canker. 
In September give more air and a drier atmosphere, and increase 
the dryness in October and November, so that the plant does 
not flag ; and by Christmas and the New Year the plant will be 
lively in a dryish atmosphere and a temperature averaging 60°. 
Hippeastrum (amaryllids).—Kept dry and in a temperature of 
from 40° to 50°, may be placed in the stove or hotbed as soon as 
the flower-bud shows after top dressing and watering. 
Gesnera zebrina will be fine at Christmas, if the tubers were 
started in May and June, and kept growing on slowly in a moist 
atmosphere. As soon as the flower-spike begins to expand the 
atmosphere must be drier, and average from 55° to 60°. 
Justicia calytricha or Jlavicoma is a splendid yellow flower in 
winter. Prune down when done flowering in spring ; when 
started fresh pot; keep anywhere under glass in summer; in¬ 
crease the ah’ in September, and in an average temperature of 
50° it will bloom all the winter. 
Poinsettia, from its bracts, has a fine appearance in the early 
months of winter Let the plants get dry in spring; prune 
back within a bud or two of the old wood in March or April; 
repot when young shoots show ; grow under glass, a close, cold 
pit will do after June ; encourage with heat and moisture ; give 
more air, and harden with all sunlight possible in August and 
September ; house in October, and be moderate in watering 
before the flowers and bracts appear in December and Januarv. 
These are a few of -the most prominent stove plants. In the 
greenhouse, besides forced bulbs, the 
Andersonia delighting in sandy peat is almost constantly in 
bloom. 
Acacias of different sorts will be in flower if the growth were 
made at all early. Keep the plants drier in November until the 
flower-buds show. 
Chrysanthemums , especially the Pompones, may be retarded if 
placed on the north side of a wall early in October, and protected 
from frost in November. 
Correas.—Speciosa and others will come in naturally if grown 
in a cold pit in summer, plenty of air given in August and Sep¬ 
tember, and housed in the beginning of October, and water 
lessened according to the season. 
