FEBRUARY. 35 



We are no advocates for complicated composts ; pure turfy loam of 

 a sandy nature, and silver-sand, will suit most of them ; a little peat 

 may be added for Sparaxis and Ixias, and a small proportion of well 

 rotocd cow-manure. 



The best time for potting will be directly the leaves die down. This, 

 however, is not important mth many (except with G. cardinalis, and 

 hybrids from it, and Tritonias) ; and a few may be potted at intervals 

 of two or three weeks from August to October, to insure a suc- 

 cession of bloom ; while, however, the bulbs are at rest, keep them in 

 the pots in which they grew, merely keeping them dry, to prevent 

 exciting them. The number of bulbs planted will depend on their 

 size and the pots in which they are grown ; three, five, seven, or 

 more may be placed in proportionate - sized pots. Fill the pots 

 (which should be well drained) Avith the rougher parts of the com- 

 post to nearly the rim, on which insert the bulbs, and cover with 

 finer soil. For Sparaxis, &c., a little more sand should be used. 

 When potted, place them in a frame on a dry bottom, and cover an 

 inch or two with ashes, or saw-dust. As the plants appear, remove 

 this from the surface of the pots, and raise the pots, so as to be near 

 the glass ; keep the glass clean, and protect by a mat in frosty 

 weather; water will now be occasionally required, and air daily in 

 mild weather. As the days lengthen remove the sashes entirely each 

 fine day, and permit air to remain on by night. This Avill keep the 

 foliage strong enough to support the flower- spikes of the taller grow- 

 ing sorts, without staking. Water must now be given freely, ex- 

 posing them at times to warm rain. The earliest potted Sparaxis, &c. 

 will commence opening their flowers towards the end of April, and 

 may then be removed to the windows of a sitting-room, or any 

 situation tolerably light, protected from rain, when they will continue 

 to produce a succession of flowers of the richest hue for some time. 

 By the middle of May, the plants having been freely exposed to the 

 weather for some time, should be removed to a spot sheltered from 

 high Avinds, but fully exposed to the morning or mid-day sun, plung- 

 ing the pots in some dry material ; water mU be required daily, 

 occasionally giving weak manure-water. If a proper selection of 

 Gladioli has been made, some part wiU commence opening their 

 flowers early in June, when they become available for decorating 

 rooms, verandahs, balconies, &c., and form most effective plants for 

 baskets, vases, tazzas ; whether indoors or out, their sword-like 

 leaves, and rich-coloured flowers, are never more effectively brought 

 out than in the above way, particularly when edged with some trail- 

 ing plant to hang over the edge. When their blooms fade, cut the 

 flower-stems away, and place the pots in the full sun ; reduce the 

 quantity of water as the leaves ripen, and finally lay the pots on their 

 sides, with the plants to the south, to complete the ripening of the 

 bulbs, when the pots may be stored away out of the reach of wet, 

 till wanted for potting. 



We must, in concluding, remind our readers that nearly all the 

 plants treated on will succeed in the open border when properly 

 prepared; but our object in treating them as pot-plants is to create 



