January 16, 1880 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
313 
preference to named sorts, as being more easily done 
and giving better results. 
Tubers should be obtained about the present time, 
and if desired to be got into bloom in April, May, or 
June, may be started at once. To succeed in obtaining 
blooms thus early, however, it is necessary to have com¬ 
mand of a genial temperature of 60° to 70° during the 
whole period of growth, otherwise it would be prefer¬ 
able to keep the bulbs cool for another two or three 
months, when they will require much less artificial 
heat, and flower well in summer or early autumn in an 
ordinary greenhouse, kept rather close. 
One-year-old tubers are as a rule not larger than a 
walnut, but it will be better to have these than larger 
and older specimens, which will not last so long, or be 
so vigorous, as young plants. 
The bulbs should be potted singly in small pots 
(60’s or 3 ins.) at first, using a light open compost of 
suitable. From the first shade from hot sunshine— 
especially when this sets in suddenly—must be afforded, 
but take care to remove it directly the need has passed 
away ; and maintain a moist sweet atmosphere, avoid¬ 
ing draughts or sudden chills. Dry hot air will be 
almost sure to enduce thrip, the terror of Gloxinia 
growers, which, when once it has gained a footing, is 
very difficult to eradicate. This is, however, almost 
the only pest to which this plant is liable, and it is 
easily kept at a distance by good cultivation and a 
regular and free supply of water. 
When the small pots are beginning to become full 
of roots a shift must be given, this time into 5-inch or 
6 -iuch pots, preferably the latter, if good sized plants 
are required. Drain these well, and use the same 
mixture as mentioned before, with the addition of 
about a fourth of sweet well-rotted leaf mould, and 
a sprinkling of some good dependable artificial manure ; 
time when clean soft water can be obtained, I have never 
seen any ill effects produced by overhead sprinkling, 
so long as it is only practised in bright weather, and 
early enough in the day to admit of the foliage becoming 
dry before nightfall. In due time the flower buds will 
commence to "rise, and at this point an occasional dose 
of some sweet and clear liquid manure of moderate 
strength will greatly assist the inflorescence. An 
infusion of cow-manure or some clear soot water is as 
good as anything, or a solution of sulphate of ammonia 
at the rate of half-an-ounee to the gallon (rather 
weaker at first) will be very beneficial. 
When in bloom plenty of water at the root will still 
be required ; but never allow a drop to touch the 
flowers. Careful but not heavy shading, and an 
avoidance of a high degree of heat, will tend greatly to 
prolong the blooming period. Ventilation must, of 
course, be afforded more or less according to the weather 
The Tweed Vineyards, Clovenfords, near Galashiels. 
good peat, a little light loam, and a liberal portion of 
sand, which should be as coarse in texture as possible. 
Crock the pots fairly well, and press the soil moderately 
firm ; the bulb should be just covered with soil, placing, 
of course, the “eye ” or crown of the bulb uppermost. 
Growth will soon commence in a temperature of 70° or 
75°, such as a stove or sweet hotbed, or more slowiy in 
a house at 60° to 65°, or thereabouts ; keep the soil 
only just moist until growth is well advanced. When 
fairly in growth, a very important point is to afford 
each plant as much light as possible, which will have 
the effect of inducing a dwarf stiff habit, and great 
substance in both the foliage and subsequent bloom. 
To this end place the plants as near the glass as is 
practicable or safe ; indeed, I have always found early 
Gloxinias succeed better on a high shelf, in a warm 
house, than anywhere else. When the heat of sum¬ 
mer sets in, such a position usually becomes too dry, 
and a place on, or directly over, a bed of damp cocoa- 
nut fibre or hops, or near a tank of water, will be more 
a few lumps of freshly burnt charcoal are also desirable. 
Some growers dispense with peat more or less entirely, 
substituting a mixture of loam, sand, and leaf-mould 
only, and certainly plants grown in this heavier staple 
have a remarkable strength and substance, but it 
should be stated that unless under Very skilful cultiva¬ 
tion, growth is not made with nearly so much freedom 
in such a compost as in one of a lighter character, so 
that it will be on the whole advisable for beginners to 
use the mixture first recommended. Of course, for a 
week or two after having been repotted, especially if the 
shift has b;en rather a liberal one, water must be very 
carefully and sparingly supplied to the plants, and the 
house should be kept a little closer than usual. As 
the growth as well as the season advances, root moisture 
must be plentifully afforded, and a fairly humid at¬ 
mosphere be regularly maintained. Some authorities 
sav that Gloxinias should never be syringed overhead, 
and certainly if hard water has to be used, the foliage 
should be wetted as little as possible ; at the same 
and temperature outside from the earlier stages ; but 
this should be confined principally to the roof-venti¬ 
lators, as nothing in the shape of a draught can be 
tolerated. I have known very fine Gloxinias to be pro¬ 
duced without any ventilation at all ; but this practice 
is not to be recommended, a moderate amount of air at 
favourable seasons giving a substance to the plants and 
blooms which cannot be attained without it. After 
flowering, the plants should be gradually dried off, and 
the bulbs ripened by exposure to air and sunshine. 
When the foliage has dried down water must be 
withheld altogether, and the plants either stowed away 
under the stage in the pots in which they grew, placing 
them on their sides, or else shaking the tubers out of 
the soil and putting them in pots or boxes with a little 
cocoa-nut fibre round them. Here they will winter 
safely in a temperature of 50° or 60° ; but if the 
slightest frost or cold of less than 40°, or confined damp 
can affect them, the tubers will decay ; they should 
not be allowed to become very dry or they will shrivel. 
