74 
THE GLOXINIA. 
mass. If the heap contains no more than a cart-load, it will not 
be advisable to turn it more than once, lest the heat be driven 
off;' two loads will probably require to be turned twice, at inter¬ 
vals of three or four days, and once more for every additional 
cartful will most likely be necessary. This, however, must be 
determined by the state of the mass, for so long as strong, rank- 
smelling steam is given off, it will require to be turned. Parti¬ 
cular attention must be given to this preparation of the material, 
or when the bed is made and the frame placed on it, the heat 
will be found so violent that nothing can exist in it, and then, 
as soon as the violence subsides, it will decline so rapidly as to 
require renewing in a very short time. Not so, however, with 
the well-prepared bed, in which the heat will be regular, mode¬ 
rate, and long continued. With the bed at a steady heat of 
65 or 70°, the bulbs may be potted and plunged for about half 
the depth of their pots into the bed. From the circumstance 
of these plants being natives of the borders of tropical forests, 
they require to have light vegetable mould to grow in, a humid 
atmosphere about them, and shade from bright sun-light while 
in an active state. To supply the first requisite, it is usual to 
mix peat, leaf-mould, and sand in equal quantities, and it is also 
essential that a very efficient drainage is seemed in the pots, or, 
from the fleshy nature of the roots, much danger may arise from 
stagnate moisture in the soil; chopped moss, broken charcoal, 
or potsherds may be mixed with the earth, to keep it porous and 
assist the passage of the water through it; not less than a third 
of the depth of the pot should be filled with sherds, and, to allow 
its ready escape from the pot, see that the hole at the bottom 
is large enough and clear of impediment. In pottiug, the bulb 
should be surrounded with silver-sand, and its crown kept just 
level with, the surface of the soil. New roots are soon protruded, 
and though it is highly important to provide for the free emis¬ 
sion of superfluous moisture from the soil, it is also of vital 
consequence to keep them duly supplied with water, for, as 
before remarked, they delight in a humid atmosphere, and as a 
matter of course, the soil must be proportionately damp. In 
hot, dry weather, a thick shade must be thrown over the frame, 
and, as a further assistance to their development, the whole of 
the foliage should be slightly sprinkled every evening, and, by 
