TUBEROUS BEGONIAS AND THEIR CULTIVATION.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLI, Issue 19, 4 November 1908, Page 42

TUBEROUS BEGONIAS AND THEIR CULTIVATION.

The popularity of the tuberous begonia and its various varieties is becoming yearly more pronounced, and the improvements in their form and cultivation have made actual the possibilities never dreamt of twenty years ago. The many beautiful forms now at our disposal have saved us the task of trying to improve the types, for in singles and doubles all shades of colour are to be bad, with line or orbicular flowers measuring eight inches in diameter. Begonias, and especially this section, have a promising future for bush-house treatment, and in very cold districts they may be successfuly grown under glass, but in a climate sueh as Sydney it is too hot during summer under glass and in the open. 'The best plants I have grown were in a lightly-shaded bush-house, and planted in the ground, and I feel sure to lovers of this class of floyer, it would well repay them to construct sueh a house for their culture alone. This same house, after the begonias were done, say in May, could then be filled with Primulas, Cinerarias, and Cyclamen, previously grown along early for that purpose in frames, thus converting the house into one full of bloom and beauty the whole year ihrough. PROPAGATION. There are at least four different methods of propagating tuberous begonias, viz,, by seed, cuttings, leaf cuttings (as in the case of Rex begonias) and by division of the tubers. I prefer only the first two, for they are certainly the most practicable and profitable. Propagation from seeds is the most legitimate, speedy, and profitable mode of increasing this class of begonias for any purpose, and especially if saved from a first-class strain, and if raised early •will flower and give good sized saleable bulbs the first year. Of course there is great speculation as to colour, but by the method of early raising, these'when in bloom may be labelled for future reference. It is only possible to raise them early when heat can be obtained or the consequence will be a loss by the damping- off of the seedlings. If no heat is available it would be advisable to, defer the sowing till September or even October.

The seed must be sown in shallow pans or boxes (pans preferred) not more than four inches deep with plenty of good drainage, and a compost of light porous material, containing leaf soil, loam and plenty of good sharp sand. This must be mixed and used in a rough state, with some finely sifted material on the top to ■ give a smooth and level seed bed, which should be pressed firm, and -watered by holding the pan in water rip to the rim till thoroughly soaked and then the seed may be thinly sown. As soon as the seedlings are large enough to handle, they should be moved into other, pans or boxes by the aid of a forked stick or a pointed piece of wood divided at the point to lift the diminutive seedlings so as to give them more room: when again large enough to further treat them they may be transferred into the bush-house and planted out in beds prepared for them by the aid of manure well rotted, charcoal ami coarse sand, and left to bloom, they may be planted in rows eighteen inches apart and nine inches between the seedlings. If required for pot culture, they may be gradually potted up. in the place of planting them in the bush house.

The propagation by cut lings is only to be advocated for perpetuating named varieties, or some special variety of some ► lamlard form for the purpose of seed saving, as this process is too slow to lie profitable. The propagation by leaf cutting is slower still, and by division of the tuber, in most eases’ courts failure mid loss of bulbs by rot. The raising of seedlings of the single and double forms, and also of tho variety Hybrida Ciistata or crested forms are the most (gatisfaetory if raised early, as they give much the finest blooms the first and

second year, after which they degenerate. The variety known as Bertini does not seed, but propagates by the division of the tuber naturally as is also the case with Begonia, Double erecta Multiflora, which makes excellent specimens forhanging baskets if three or four bulbs bo put in together, they then may receive plenty of moisture, wheih cannot in any way become stagnated. To obtain blooms unsurpassed by another method of cultivation is as follows:—Raise your seedlings early, and let the seed be the best obtainable, and after being handled from the seed pan into boxes, let the next move be into the bush-house, and planted in rows in the natural bed, made up for the purpose; they respond well to good rotted manure, also in a liquid form, this assists their growth, .-improves the colour of the bloom and the size of the tuber, and once you have grown them in this manner you will not again resort to pot culture. This may not suit the small grower or private person, who requires a few pots for show purposes, but these even are very much better specimens grown in a bush-house than when coddled up between other plants or in a temperature far too hot, the difficulty in summer when grown in pots under glass is to keep them cool enough; they require an abundance of light without too much sunshine, and plenty of fresh air without drafts. The most successful competitors at shows for cut blooms of tuberous begonias will be those who raise seedlings early, and get them into the open ground in the bush-house, with liberal treatmnt; you may then see Begonias as you have never seen them before, plants full of vigour two feet high, and blooms from six inches upwards in diameter. This system can be made applicable in any of the States, but beware of the meaning of the word bush-house, it is not intended to he made a dark-room, but sufficient protection from the fierce rays of the sun in summer.—F. C. Lovegrove, Concord, N.S.W.