BEGONIA 
CULTURE 
FOR EARLY FLOWERING put 
tubers during February and March in a 


warm place in open trays at a tempera- 
ture of 60 to 65 degrees. Moisten slightly 
once in a while until they come to life. 
As they begin sprouting, plant in flats in 
a mixture of peat and sand, leaf mold 
and sand, or peat alone, all of which are 
good media for developing a root system. 
Plant three to four inches apart one- 
half inch below the surface. Keep uni- 
formly moist but not too wet, at a tempera- 
ture as above and well lighted, until three 
or four inches of growth develop. Then, 
if all danger of frost is past they may be 
planted outdoors in a permanent location, 
or potted. The front of the plant is always 
where the tips of the leaves are pointing. 
Often if dormant tubers are planted in open 
ground, especially if it is too cold or wet, 
they may rot in the ground, or the plants 
will be facing in haphazard ways. Started 
first in flats, they will develop a splendid 
root system which is necessary for the 
forming of fine specimen plants. 
TRANSPLANTING into open ground or 
pots should be done before the plants get 
too large and crowded, being careful not to 
disturb the root system more than neces- 
sary. Any light soil with a lot of humus 
will grow good Begonias; heavy soils 
should have a liberal application of well 
rotted manure, leaf mold or sand thor- 
oughly mixed. Very light soil will benefit 
with an application of peat, leaf mold or 
well rotted manure. A lighter soil should 
be used in pots than when planted out 
doors. A shady spot should be selected 
outdoors, such as under trees or the north 
side of a building where the direct sunlight 
cannot reach them. 
FEEDING — For well-grown specimens 
additional feeding will be required, fish or 
cottonseed meals, both give fine results. 
Mix these with the soil that goes into the 
lower half of the pots, about a tablespoon- 
ful for a six-inch pot. For outdoor plant- 


BEGONIAS, CAMELLIA TYPE 
CRISPA TYPE 
ing a tablespoonful mixed with the soi! 
in the lower half of the planting hole for 
small plants, additional for larger plants. 
