The Garden Under Glass

56 THE GARDEN UNDER GLASS germinate, notwithstanding they are placed in a temperature of 65° to 70° by night, but there is likelihood of quicker germination in June than in October. The idea also is that the growth may be built up steadily, and as they will not be called upon to flower for nearly eighteen months they should by that time make large plants, well filling with roots their 7-inch pots. When two or more leaves are formed the task of pricking out into other pans or boxes may be undertaken. Many gårdeners at this time put them into tiny pots. I believe in the practice, but knowing the dan gers and feeling sure that amateurs would scarcely be likely to water them correctly, I feel that the soundest advice I can give is that they be pricked into pans or boxes of nice open sandy soil and not be put into pots until they have a nice mat of roots and several leaves. For opening the soil I like to use brick dust as well as sand. Soft pieces of brick may be pounded up and passed through a fine wire sieve. It may be used for all the pottings of cyclamen as well as for many other greenhouse plants. Through the first winter young cyclamens need a warm house of about 6o°, but when they have become established in their 3-inch pots they may very well be removed to cooler quarters. The cyclamen when growing well relishes a cool, moist, airy atmosphere, and while over-watering is as great a danger with them as with other plants, yet moisture on the leaves and about the plant is essential to good growth. The form of staging mentioned previously, by which the bottom staging, covered with shingle, can be kept moist, is best for cyclamen, and spraying of the foliage (especially the underside) should be done three or four times a day, or as often as the leaves become dry.