The Garden Under Glass

7° THE GARDEN UNDER GLASS beauty of its blue flowers, which may be had in autumn or in spring. At one time I harboured misgivings as to whether the plant was worth cultivation, but ha ving grown it along in large pots it gave such a fine display for quite a long time in the conservatory that I make it now a point of honour to mention it with commendation. There is sometimes found a difficulty in rooting the cuttings in a propagator. Now the omamental-leaved coleus resents confinement in a propagator, and it is reason-able to suppose that C. thyrsoideus would also. My method of striking is to put three cuttings in a 3-inch pot during May and to let them root on the open staging in a house having a night temperature of 6o° to 65°. They will not take long to root. I advise growing all three along together without separation, and with only once pinching the growths. After they are rooted cooler treatment may be meted out to them, and this may be continued through-out their career. In the winter cold air should not be allowed to blow directly on to them, but they only require a cool temperature, such as about 450. From a 3-inch to a 6-inch and from thence to an 8-inch pot will be the pro-gress of potting. This coleus will bear liberal feeding in the same way as the ornamental one. The spikes are useful for cutting, though the sticky character of the leaves is not a commendation. The Fragrant Freesia Although most professional gårdeners grow freesias in quantity I do not think amateurs regard it with the favour they should. This can only be through want of knowledge, and this defect in their gardening knowledge they should hasten to repair. If the bulbs are carefully dried off and if the foliage is