From the best strains of seed it is easy, with a little patience, to raise a fine stock of plants, possessing the highest decorative qualities.  Under generous treatment the seedlings from a January or February sowing come into bloom during July and August.  The seed should be sown in well-drained pots containing a good compost at the bottom, with fine sandy loam on the surface, pressed down.  Before sowing sprinkle the soil with water, and sow the seed evenly, barely covering it with fine earth.  A temperature of about 65 deg. is suitable.  Germination is both slow and irregular, and the plants must be pricked off into pans or small pots as fast as they become large enough to handle.  This process should be followed up so long as seedlings appear and require transferring.  They may be shifted on as the growth of the several plants may require.  Begonias need more attention with reference to an even temperature during this stage than at any other period.

The merits of Begonias as bedding plants are now recognised in many gardens, and they deserve to be still more widely grown.  It is wise to defer planting out until June.  In the open ground they produce abundant supplies of flowers for cutting at the end of September and early in October, when many other flowers are over.  The plants should be put out when they show themselves sufficiently strong, and it is better to be guided by the plants than by any fixed date.  The beds must be freely enriched with well-rotted manure and decayed vegetable matter; it can scarcely be overdone, for Begonias are gross feeders.

The earliest plants to flower will often be retained in the greenhouse, as they follow in succession the Cinerarias and Calceolarias.  Those that start later may be turned out as they come into bloom, which will probably be in June.  By deferring the planting out until there is a show of bloom a selection of various shades of colour is possible, and this will greatly enhance the beauty of the beds.  Begonias are hardier than is generally supposed; they need no protection, and require no heat, except in the stage of seedlings, when first forming their tubers.

For autumn decoration Begonias should be taken up from the beds during September and potted, when they will continue to bloom in the greenhouse or conservatory for a considerable time, and form a useful addition to the flowering plants of that period.

If not required for autumn decoration, let the plants remain out as long as may be safe; then pot off, and place in the greenhouse.  Be careful not to hasten the drying of the bulbs.  When the stems fall Begonias may be stored for their season of rest, allowing them to remain in the same pots.  They can be put away in a dry cellar, or on the ground, covered up with sand, in any shed or frame where the bulbs will remain dry and be protected from frost.  Both damp and cold are very injurious to them.  The temperature during their season of rest should be kept as near 50 deg. as possible.  When they show signs of growth in spring they must be put into small-sized pots, almost on the surface of the soil.  As growth increases shift into larger sizes, inserting the bulb a little deeper each time until the crown is covered.