i88i.l DECORATIVE GREENHOUSE PLANTS. 69 



HARDY FRUITS. 



To say much about these will be a recapitulation of the past few months' 

 practice. Many, however, do not think of planting their fruit-trees before 

 this month and onwards, and we have more than once planted when they 

 were coming into leaf. Where the work remains unfinished, no opportunity 

 should be lost in bringing it to an end. Eather than be advised entirely by 

 any material in print on the subject of kinds, see which do well in the 

 district ; consider soil and altitude as well as latitude. As an example, we 

 visited a friend who grows Apples and Plums largely on his farm, and he 

 plants with the view of getting a crop every season. Last autumn his orchards 

 were a sight to be remembered, every tree being loaded ; but there were other 

 items worthy of notice (not of imitation) — weeds of every description were 

 growing in their rankest form among the trees, — Gooseberries, Currants, vege- 

 tables, and some Roses smothering each other ; yet the trees were loaded. 

 No cultivation is attempted, nor considered necessary. Soil of rocky marl, in 

 which the roots become a mass of fibre but grow freely, secures the fruit- 

 crops in this jungle. Prune, stake, train, mulch, destroy moss and lichens — 

 do whatever trees and bushes may require. The coming months will bring 

 plenty of work with them. Make cuttings of Gooseberries and Currants ; a 

 few in store are often useful. M. T. 



NOTES ON DECORATIVE GREENHOUSE PLANTS. 



VALLOTA PURPUREA. 



One of the choicest and most useful of our greenhouse flowering 

 bulbs is the Vallota purpurea. This charming plant is a native of 

 the Cape of Good Hope, and is worthy of a place in the most limited 

 collection of plants ; in fact no collection, however small, should be 

 without it. Either as a dinner-table plant for room decoration, or 

 in the conservatory, it is equally suitable and equally admired. It 

 takes rank among the Amaryllids ; and indeed in its habit, foliage, 

 and shape of flowers, it very much resembles the Amaryllis, only 

 that the flowers are smaller and a self-colour, which is bright scarlet. 

 Why it is called purpurea I cannot tell, as there is certainly nothing 

 purple about it. At no stage of its growth does it require a higher 

 temperature than that of the ordinary greenhouse. It nevertheless 

 stands forcing very well, and when introduced to a hot pit or stove, 

 will quickly throw up its flower-stems, provided it has been previously 

 sufficiently well ripened. The ripening process, however, should not 

 be carried to the length of causing it to lose its foliage ; and herein 

 it diff'ers from the Amaryllis, being an evergreen bulb, and should 

 on no account be allowed to lose its foliage through starvation : the 

 ripening process must be carried out by limiting the supply of 

 moisture and increasing the amount of air, — of course seeing that 

 it has made its growth previously. 



My remarks apply to its treatment as a greenhouse plant coming 

 into flower in its natural season, rather than as a plant subjected to 

 the process of forcing. It is propagated by off'sets, or small bulbs 



