the season’s work. The frames should 
be carefully covered, to preserve them 
from frost, and by the end ef the month 
the plants will require top-dressing; a 
line day should be chosen for the pur¬ 
pose ; and having the material ready, 
which should be, whatever its ingre¬ 
dients, several degrees stronger than the 
soil they are growing in, as its object is 
to supply the plant with the aliment ne¬ 
cessary to its full development, and of 
which it is reasonable to suppose it has 
exhausted its own soil; two parts old 
sheep-dung, one fresh loam, and one leaf- 
mould, is a good safe dressing. We have 
also found the substitution of sugar 
scum in the place of the first material 
attended with excellent results, but it 
must be remembered whenever strong 
manures of tliis kind are used, to have 
them in a decayed state, for if applied 
fresh the consequences are most disas¬ 
trous. In the application of this top- 
dressing let the surface of the soil in 
the pots be removed to the depth of 
about two inches, or until the fresh 
healthy roots of the plant are laid bare; 
fill up the space with the prepared mix¬ 
ture, give a moderate watering, and re¬ 
turn the plants to their places. It will 
henceforward be required to give them 
every encouragement in their progress. 
Liquid manure should be applied once a 
week at first, increasing the quantity as 
the bloom stems rise; air must be given 
as often and in as large quantities as a 
prudent regard to the external atmo¬ 
sphere will allow, carefully covering up 
again at night. By the middle of March 
the “pips” or bloom buds will require 
thinning and arranging. This should be 
done with a pair of pointed scissors, and 
proper space afforded each for expanding, 
hy pressing the outer and more for¬ 
ward ones from the others with soft 
wool. As the blooms expand, all crump¬ 
led ones should be taken out, and 
every assistance given the remainder to 
open flat and perfect; a damp genial 
atmosphere must be kept about the 
plants at this time, which is easily done 
hy placing a pan of water under the 
stage, and very much benefit will be 
found to result from this practice. The 
sun should not be allowed to touch any 
that are open, lest it shorten their ex¬ 
istence or spoil their colour. It is need¬ 
less to say they should be protected from 
rain, as the injury it would occasion is 
obvious. When fully out, those which 
are intended for exhibition will be found 
to keep best in common hand-lights, 
slightly elevated for the admission of air 
beneath; others may be placed where 
they are best seen; and those from which 
it is desired to save seed should be freely 
exposed to the air; for it is found that 
much nursing destroys the fecundating 
power of the pollen. After flowering, 
as the sun will be gaining power daily, 
the plants should be set in the shade, 
either under a north wall or the eastern 
aspect mentioned previously, with the 
protection and management already de¬ 
tailed. At the autumn potting all offsets 
should be removed, and those wdiich 
have roots may be potted either singly, 
if large enough, or several together in 
one pot, giving them the same treatment 
as the mature plants; and in case any 
should throw up flower spikes through 
the winter, which they frequently do, it 
is better to take off only the buds, leav¬ 
ing the foot-stalk to die of its own ac¬ 
cord ; for it often happens, when this is 
broken away, the remaining portion rots 
and carries an infection to the heart of 
the plant. The following are a few in¬ 
dispensable to every collection: 
Green-edged. 
Lee’s Colonel Taylor. 
Page’s Champion. 
Dickson’s Earl Stanhope. 
Eranklin’s Belioni. 
Stretche’s Alexander. 
Laurie’s Glory of Cheshunt. 
White-edged. 
Taylor’s Glory. 
Hughes’ Pillar of Beauty. 
Clegg’s Crucifix. 
Popplewell’s Conqueror. 
Pott’s Begulator. 
Taylor’s Incomparable. 
Gray-edged. 
Dickson’s Unique. 
Dickson’s Matilda. 
Waterhouse’s Conqueror of Europe. 
