1 87 1.] AUTUMN AND WINTER PLANTS. 407 



tliat it can be had in flower at any time by a little forethought and 

 attention to its growth. We find them very useful to come in about 

 Christmas and the spring months. Now is a good time to look them 

 over and see if any require fresh potting ; if so, let it be done at once, 

 carefully shaking out the bulbs, as the roots are easily broken off. 

 Arrange the bulbs according to their sizes, putting the large ones 

 into their flowering-pots at once, but not too many bulbs of the largest 

 size in one pot ; if too close together, the foliage has not room to fully 

 develop, and the flowers suffer. The smaller ones, being put into small 

 pots, will require a shift whenever the roots appear at the side of the 

 pots. This lot can be grown on in autumn — a month or six weeks 

 later than the large ones — and will make a fine succession of bloom the 

 following spring. We find a good fibry loam, chopped up rather rough, 

 with a good quantity of old mushroom-dung sifted through a fine sieve, 

 with a sprinkling of silver-sand well mixed, suits them well. In pot- 

 ting, great care should be taken to have the pots well drained, as they 

 are very impatient of stagnant water, although, when growing, they 

 delight in plenty of moisture both at the roots and in the atmosphere. 

 After potting, they should be placed where they can have a tempera- 

 ture of from 65° to 70° at night, with a rise of 16° by day. They are 

 all the better of a little shade on bright days. After they are in full 

 growth a little manure-water may be given with advantage ; and if a 

 little soot is mixed with the above water, it gives the foliage a brighter 

 appearance. Grow them on in this temperature until about the middle 

 or end of September — the smaller bulbs later, as recommended before 

 — and gradually harden them off until they can stand in a temperature 

 of from 50° to 55°. If there is not much room at command, lay them 

 on their sides under a stage where they can have the benefit of light. 

 Here they may remain for about six weeks, giving little or no water, 

 but syringing them well every day. When wanted to start, let them 

 be taken to the potting-bench, examine the drainage, give them a rich 

 top-dressing : if found to be rather dry, place them in a bucket of tepid 

 w^ater until the ball is thoroughly wet. By plunging the pots in a bot- 

 tom-heat of (S0°, with top-heat at from 60° to 65°, attending to them 

 well with water, both at the roots and syringing frequently through 

 the day, if properly treated before, they will soon begin to throw up 

 their flower-stems. We have had plants in bloom which stood for four 

 and five weeks in an entrance-hall, in the month of January. 



DIELYTRA SPECTABILIS. 



This is a fine free-forcing plant, easily managed, and when grown in 

 good clumps in the open ground, which should be well manured at 

 planting-time, and giving frequent waterings throughout the summer. 



