The many varieties of the above make them interesting, especially when a good collection of the double sorts are grown along with the single ones. The Fern-leaved varieties, when in good health, are handsome even when not in flower. To have the single varieties early in flower they should be sown in August, and when fairly up and one pair of rough leaves formed, pot them singly into large thumb-pots in a mixture of peat and silver sand, placing them in a close frame for a few days until they take with the shift, when air should be given on all favourable occasions. As the autumn draws on, and there is any danger from frost apprehended, remove them to a light airy shelf near the glass, where they may stand all winter, keeping them rather dry than otherwise, but not letting them suffer for want of water. Here they may stand until the end of March, when they will have filled the pots with roots: get a lot of 6 and 5 inch pots, perfectly clean and well drained; also a mixture of half peat and good fibry loam, with a little cow-dung, which has been lying for some time, put through a fine sieve, with some silver sand well mixed, and put where it can be warmed to the same temperature as the house the plants are growing in.

As the potting goes on a little soot should be sprinkled over the drainage, which is a good preventive against worms getting into the pots when standing in their growing quarters. When finished, place them in a cold frame where they can stand all the summer, keep the lights close for a few days, giving air according to the state of the weather, keeping them always close to the glass. When the pots are filled with roots, a watering with manure-water twice a-week will be beneficial to them. When the sun gets powerful, shade with a little whiting and skim-milk mixed to the thickness of paint, adding as much Brunswick-green as takes off the white appearance. As this is applied to the glass, strike the surface gently with a soft brush before it dries; when this is carefully done it has all the appearance of frosted glass, and gives a fine subdued light to the plants. Here they may stand all the summer, and will make fine plants; and by keeping the frame a little close in the day from August and shut up at nights, fine heads of bloom soon begin to make their appearance, and continue flowering until those sown in the spring succeed them.