Feb. 28th, 1885. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
409 
balsams and cockscombs. 
Having both grown and exhibited prize winning 
Balsams and Cockscombs, I will give “ A Keen 
Competitor ” my experience on their culture for 
competition next autumn — September. To begin 
with, I should devote a pit or frame to the especial 
purpose, as good bottom-heat is essential to their 
healthy and rapid growth from first to last. Both 
will need about the same amount of heat, being alike 
tender annuals; both require about the same soil— 
well rotted turf with one-third part of rotten hotbed 
manure, and the same sort of liquid manure twice a 
week during the whole of the growing season, that 
made from sheep’s-dung is best, and a canful of it 
should always be standing inside the frame to keep it 
at the same temperature. The third week in March 
will be a good time to sow the seed, but a solving once 
suffer a check by any sudden change, or by being 
allowed to become root-bound before re-potting. Soil 
for re-potting in should be set inside the frame a few 
hours beforehand. Always pot the seedlings down to 
below the seed-leaf if possible; begin with 3-in. pots, 
and pot on with small shifts till 10-in. or 12-in. pots 
are reached. Seldom water these plants over head, 
and be careful in watering to see that it drains away 
well or damping off will soon follow. 
Pinch off the lateral shoots of the Cockscombs as 
they appear, also all blossoms that appear on the 
Balsams before they have got over their last shift. 
When well established after the final shift, remove the 
plants to a light greenhouse and place them well up to 
the glass.— B. C. 
I never grew Balsams for exhibition (see p. 382), 
but the finest lot of plants I ever saw in the autumn 
of the soil. They were plunged a good distance 
apart, so that plenty of air could pass between them 
and light not be obstructed in the least. To form 
specimens fit for exhibition, they would require to be 
potted on, the branching shoots to be tied down to a 
wire brought round under the rim of the pot, and the 
blooms removed so as to keep them in growth, dis¬ 
continuing some time before they are wanted. About 
three weeks or a month before the exhibition they 
should be removed to a greenhouse, where they 
will soon come into bloom. Through the whole of 
the season, the plants should have frequent supplies 
of liquid manure except immediately after potting, 
and they should be occasionally turned round in the 
bed to prevent them rooting through into the manure, 
for if this is allowed, they will receive a considerable 
check when removed to the greenhouse as they come 
into flower in the autumn.— W. C. C. 
JASM1KUJI GBACiLHAlUil : FLO WEBS WHITE. 
a month till May of Balsams will be well, as there will 
then be successional plants should the first sowing get 
past their best by September. A two-light frame will 
accommodate about two dozen plants till they get 
their last shift, and if more than that quantity is grown 
on from the first the faulty ones should be thinned out 
as they become noticeable. The plants should be 
kept within 6 ins. of the glass all through, and air 
should be admitted to keep the plants strong and 
prevent their being drawn. The temperature should 
not fall below 70 degs. at any time or exceed 90 degs., 
and shading will have to be resorted to very cautiously, 
loose thin muslin that can be quickly removed being 
best. I have sometimes removed them and put them 
on again six times in one day. 
There are two or three things to observe in potting 
these plants that “A Keen Competitor” may call 
“wrinkles.” One is that though they must have 
ample drainage, yet the crocks must not be piled up 
inside the pots to more than an inch or so, as it is the 
grower’s aim to get the ball of roots as deep down into 
the pot as possible in order to shorten the length of 
bare stem. Another is that the plants should never 
were grown in the following manner :—Seeds were 
sown on a slight hotbed under glass about the middle 
of April; when the seedlings came up they were 
potted into small pots and again returned to the 
frame, care being taken to keep them close to the 
glass, and as soon as started, plenty of air was 
admitted. When they had filled their pots with roots, 
which would not take long, they were shifted into 
those a size or two larger, and plunged in a bed 
prepared in the following manner. To about three 
loads of tree-leaves, one of long stable litter was 
added, this was frequently turned over and well 
mixed until all the rank heat had passed off, so that 
when made up into a bed about 2 ft. 6 ins. to 3 ft. 
thick and well trodden down, there was no fear of 
its heating so as to injure the roots. The bed being 
ready for the reception of the plants about the 
beginning of June, they were plunged up to the rims 
of their pots in the bed in the open-air, no further 
covering being afforded them. 
In potting the plants, care was taken to keep them 
as low as possible, so that by the time of the final 
potting, the lowest branch shoots were on the surface 
COPROSMA BAUERIANA 
VARIEGATA. 
This ranks among the most useful of variegated 
plants for greenhouse and general decoration, that is 
provided it is well grown, and there is very little 
difficulty in having it in good condition if grown on 
freely from cuttings, but old plants after they have 
once become stunted, seldom do much good. The 
present is a good time to propagate it. Cuttings strike 
very freely where there is a brisk bottom-heat, and 
not too much moisture ; in making the cuttings, they 
should be cut off as close below the joint as possible, 
and have only the two bottom leaves taken off. In 
putting them in they should be kept as near the 
surface as possible, as if put in too deep they are very 
liable to rot off at the bottom. They strike best in 
sand, and as soon as they are rooted, should be 
potted off in any good light soil. Although nearly 
hardy, it will grow most freely in an intermediate 
temperature, and for an amateur who has a green¬ 
house, and who is fond of ornamental leaved plants, 
this is one of the best that can be grown. 
