302 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



December, 



take up tho l)ulb find place in a warm plaee in a 

 box ()(■ saw (lust. In planting, one-third of the 

 bull) must be left above the surface of the soil. 

 The flowers are of a very rich crimson color, 

 they are very large and Itorne on long foot- 

 stalks. 



A. BeUadmuKi is one of the oldest and most 

 popular of the Amaryllis in cMllivation; it is a na- 

 tive of both continents, being found in Brazil and 

 at Cape Good Hope, although the first introduc- 

 tion into English gardens was from Portugal in 

 1 720, A. D. I^nlike the previous variety, it is ver}'^ 

 impatient of removal, and should be kept grow- 

 ing constantly in a pot, but should receive no 

 water from November until April. In planting 

 this variet}-, put at least two inches of drainage 

 in the bottom of a seven-inch pot, then fill in 

 about two inches of rich sandy loam, then taking 

 the neck of the bulb in the fingers of the left hand 

 hold it so the top of the bulb will be at least one- 

 half inch higher than the rim of the pot ; spread 

 out the long brittle roots carefully and fill in the 

 soil with the other hand, tapping the pot frequent- 

 ly to settle the soil; there should be half an inch of 

 the pot left unfilled at the top for water ; not 

 over one-third of the bulb should be covered 

 with soil. Water well, and place the pot in a 

 warm, light situation ; in the last of May sink 

 the pot in the flower bed (putting a little ashes 

 under the pot) and keep it well watered ; the 

 rtowers will appear in August and September. 

 The flowers are produced on a stalk from two 

 to three feet high, each stalk bearing from one 

 to a dozen blooms, the individual flowers being 

 from three to six inches in diameter. The 

 ground color of the flower is white, the lower 

 portion usually with a greenish tinge, while 

 the upper part is variegated or suff'used with a 

 rosy carmine color; they have a peculiar, but 

 agreeable fragrance. After fiow^ering, the leaves 

 will appear. "When the frosty season approaches 

 remove to the house, continue the water supply 

 until the old leaves turn yellow, when gradually 

 withdi-aw until they are withered entirely, after 

 which no water should be given until the follow- 

 ing spring. 



A. Johnsonii. — With this variety I always pur- 

 sue a similiar routine of treatment as with the 

 Belladonna, although some authorities recom- 

 mend continuing its growth during Winter, 

 claiming that it will flower during this season, 

 thus having two flowering seasons for the one 

 bulb. The flowers are of the richest and most 

 brilliant scarlet, with a distinct white stripe in 



the centre of each segment : in size an<l shape 

 they resemble Lily candidium. They are gor- 

 geous indeed. 



A. r if fata is a handsome variety with white- 

 flowers, variegated witli excjuisite rose. 



A. loiu/i flora is a clear rose-t-olored flower. 

 The two latter require similiar treatment to 

 Belladonna. They are both exceedingly liand- 

 some. 



NJiJl' OR RARE PLANTS. 



Double Geraniums. — Mr. Conrad Kirchner. 

 of Philadelphia, hands us a dozen kinds of seed- 

 ling double Geraniums, which he has raised the 

 past season, which shows that new double Ger- 

 raniums may be raised as easily as new Straw- 

 berries or new Peaches. We shall soon have to 

 be fastidious as to what we call first-rate. We 

 want now good broad petals, and flowers of regu- 

 lar form. In these respects one of these is like 

 but superior to Asa Gray, and some of the lighter 

 colored ones will probably be distinct enough to 

 merit names and distribution. 



Croton Disraeli. — The Various forms of Cro- 

 ton are among the most popular of leaf plants, and 

 as most of them do well in rooms and cool green- 

 houses, they are well suited to a large class of 

 our readers. It is hard to tell whether they are 

 distinct species or mostly mere varieties ; but this 

 is of no importance to the lover of plants who 

 desires only distinct beauty. For the introduc- 

 tion of the present pretty knid, which has been 

 named after the celebrated English Premier^ 

 Europe is indebted to Messrs. Jas. Veitch & 

 Sons, of Chelsea, England, who give the follow- 

 ing description of it : 



"We are indebted to the kindness of A. 11. C. 

 Macafee, Esq., of Sidney, X. S. W., for this most 

 distinct addition to this popular class of foliage 

 plants. It possesses a new feature of great in- 

 terest in the trilobate form of its leaves, the 

 middle lobe being greatly elongated, with a 

 broader expansion near the extremity ; the two 

 lateral ones comparativel}' short, of unequal size 

 and length, and expanding from the mid-rib at 

 about one-third of its length from the base. The 

 coloring of the foliage is rich and varied. In the 

 newer leaves the mid-rib and margin are of a 

 light yellow, with the light green blade blotched 

 and marked with the same color ; as the foliage 



