AMERICAN PLANTS. 273 



where other native plants grew in almost tropical luxuriance ; 

 and in it the Lilies stood gloriously. Our last summer was one 

 of the hottest and dryest on record ; and never have the Lilies 

 hloomed finer. In no plants are there greater mistakes made in 

 cultivation than in the herbaceous plants of America. Our 

 autumns are very dry and warm, consequently the bulbs are well 

 matured. The past autumn, on digging up some roots, the earth 

 about them was hard, and very dry — much dryer than you ever 

 see the ground in England. The soil remains pretty much in 

 this state until winter fairly sets in. The ground, in the fii'st 

 place, having a good natural covering of old leaves, &c., and this 

 now overlaid with a heavy coat of snow, the bulbs underneath 

 are as dry and warm as they would be in an English greenhouse, 

 and far more so than in the borders of an English flower-gai'den. 

 When spring comes round, the thawing of the snow, as well as 

 rains, which we usually get at that season, thoroughly moisten 

 the soil. This, with our hot sun, soon renders vegetation active, 

 and such plants grow with extraordinary vigour. From their 

 habitats, and the nature of our seasons, it may be said they never 

 suffer for lack of moisture, with a tropical heat, from the time 

 they fairly commence growing in spring until their growth is 

 matured. The past summer they were in bloom from the middle 

 to the end of July, during which time the thermometer in the 

 shade, out of doors, ranged from 90° to 100°, and by night from 

 80° to 90°. Once fairly out of bloom, the stalks soon dry up. 

 The latter part of summer being diy and warm, our bulbs soon 

 sink into a state of repose. Need I say more than the above to 

 any intelligent cultivator to show fully the absurdity of attempting 

 to cultivate these plants out of doors in England ? Get your roots 

 any time from September to January ; pot in a rich sandy loam 

 enriched with leaf-mould or cow manure ; place your pots in a cold 

 pit as soon as they commence growing ; move into a warm green- 

 house, or, better still, a well-ventilated stove ; give liquid manure 

 frequently when growing,— rich feeding, with abundance of heat 

 and air, is what they like ; they will then bloom finely. After 

 which, get your growth well matured, which done, dry off gradu- 

 ally, and keep your roots perfectly dry until you want to start 

 them again. 



Included in the genus Gentiana are a few species which rank 

 among the finest herbaceous plants ; but again, how seldom seen 

 in cultivation ! G. saponaria, ochroleuca, and some others are 

 charming. I will describe the habitats of the two named. They 



