324 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



and Icibour, by purcliasing in tbe autumn a sufficient stock of the 

 subjects best adapted Ibr forcing. Tbey do not, w hen bought by 

 tbe dozen, command an extravagant price, and sufficient for an 

 ordinary conservatory vrill not cost a very hirge sum. 



The hardy herbaceous phinta best adapted for forcing are Astilhe 

 Ja'ponica, more generally known under the erroneous designation of 

 Spireee Japonica ; this is one of the most valuable of hardy planta 

 for forcing, and is now grown in immense quantities for Covent 

 Garden Market. The foliage is of a deep glossy green and very 

 elegant, and when surmounted with its feathery ])ure white inflores- 

 cence the effect is exceedingly good. Dieli/tra sj^ccfahilis is one of 

 the most elegant plants in existence when properly grown. D. 

 spectahilis alba is also very pretty, but as it is as yet expensive, ic 

 must be regarded as a novelty, and not more than one or two plunt* 

 be grown. Bofj's Tooth Violets are very pretty grown in pots ; but 

 they do not require forcing in the same manner as the other things ; 

 they bloom naturally rather early, and a moderate degree of warmth 

 is sufficient to bring them into bloom as early as they are usually 

 required. The varieties known as Alba, Purpurea, and Rosea, are 

 all good, and tolerably cheap. Giganteum is a large growing form, 

 with bright red flowers*, but at present it commands a price too high 

 to admit of its being purchased for forcing. The Llhj of the Vallei/ 

 is one of the most beautiful and best appreciated of hardy plants for 

 forcing. The strong imported clumps are decidedly the best, a? 

 they usually consist of from twelve to eighteen crowns, from each 

 of which may be expected a well-developed flow^er-spike. There 

 are two variegated varieties, and both are very pretty, and can have 

 a hearty recommendation. The gold-striped, which is known in the 

 catalogues as Gonvallaria majalis fol. var. is exceedingly beautiful,, 

 whether in bloom or not ; it is in i-xct one of the prettiest orna- 

 mental leaved plants of dwarf growth we have. The other varie- 

 gated form is known as C. majalis marginata, and has golden 

 margined leaves. The Solomon's Seal is very graceful in growth, 

 and will be found useful for the embellishment of the conservatory, 

 and for dressing vases and epergnes. The long graceful shoots 

 taken off and inserted in rather tall trumpet-shaped glasses, have a 

 most elegant appearance, and are, when on the dinner-table, usually 

 much admired. As it grows freely in a shaded corner, and requires 

 little or no attention, the purchased plants after they have been 

 forced should be planted out in a spare corner to insure a stock for 

 subsequent seasons. When cut flowers are in request in the early 

 part of the season, it is a very good plan to lift lai^ge clumps and 

 pack them close together in shallow boxes, and then place them in 

 the forcing pit. One or two boxes will yield a large number of 

 sprays, which will be found most useful for decoi-ations. Lachenalia 

 quadricolor and JO. tricolor are also exceedingly beautiful, as the 

 brightly-coloured llowers are relieved with prettily marked leaves. 

 Of these, about half-a-dozen bulbs should be put in pots five or six 

 inches in diameter; after they commence to push up their flower- 

 spikes, and are removed from the forcing-pit, it is an excellent plan 

 to stand the pots in saucers containing a little water. Primula- 



