Angust 27, 1874. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



191 



hope the scheme of the Society of Aita will be productive of 

 excellent results on the agriculture of the country.— (^^ado-t'.) 



FLOWERS FOR OUR BORDERS.— No. 38. 



BOMAEEA ACUTli'OLIA. — Pointed-lkaved IJollAREA. 



The Bomareas are very closely allied to the Alstriimorias, 

 aud were formerly included with them. They differ, however, 

 from the latter in their twining stems, and several details of 

 their floral structure. In the genus Alstrameria the two 

 upper segments of the perianth differ generally from the 

 others, either in form or colour, so as to give the flower an 

 unsymmetrioal appearance. In Bomarea it is destitute of this 

 irregularity, the two series composing the flower, although 

 differing slightly from each other, being composed of segments 

 uniform in shape and colonr. 



Fig. 57. — Bomarea acutifolia. 



Bomarea acutifolia is a tuberous-rooted plant, with twining 

 stems, growing in the open ground to the height of 6 feet or 

 more. The leaves are, as the trivial name suggests, long and 

 pointed, smooth and dark green on their upper surface, but 

 paler and strongly nerved on their under side, the nerves being 

 clothed with numerous hairs. A curious feature, common, 

 however, to all the species, as well as to the Alstromerias, is, 

 the twisted petiole or leafstalk, by which the position of the 

 leaf is reversed. It would seem as if Nature had, in a careless 

 mood, originally attached the leaves upside down, and aftei'- 

 wards corrected the error by the very simple expedient of 

 twisting the footstalk. 



The plant luxuriates in a rich sandy loam, and when the 

 soil is naturally heavy and retentive, a considerable proportion 

 of sand should be mixed with it before planting the roots. In 

 low moist situations it will also be highly desirable to place a 

 few inches of drainage beneath the soil on which the tubers 

 rest. This wUl give them a much better chance of enduring 

 frost, for it is only in dry soils that they can be considered 

 hardy. The tubers should be planted at least C inches deep, 

 in a warm aspect ; if at the foot of a south wall the plant will 

 flower finer than in more exposed places. 



When grown against a wall the stems of the plant may be 

 secured to a narrow trellis ; in other situations a neat stick 

 will be requisite. In those localities in which there may be 

 some risk in leaving the tubers in the ground through the 

 winter, they should be carefully dug up soon after the stems 



have died down, and be preserved in pots of sandy loam in 

 a dry place uutO spring. It is not advisable to remove the 

 soil entirely from them, or they will shrivel, and perhaps 

 decay. 



The increase of B. acutifolia may be effected by division 

 of the tubers, or by seeds, which are usually ripened freely. 

 Like those of some other endogenous plants, the seeds are 

 apt to become so hard by keeping, especially if in a very dry 

 place, that they will only germinate after a long interment, 

 imless sown as soon as ripe, which is not always practicable 

 or desirable. 



This desiccation may be prevented to some extent by bury- 

 ing the seeds in a pot of sandy loam, which should be pre- 

 served in a dry cool place. It is usual to sow them on arti- 

 ficial heat in spring, but stronger plants are obtained by sow- 

 ing in the open borders under a hand-glass about the middle 

 of April. Soil of a light porous nature will be iudispeneable, 

 and when the plants appear above ground air must be ad- 

 mitted, but they must be covered at night as long as there is 

 any danger of frost. The snaUs and slugs are very partial to 

 this genus, as well as to the Alstromerias, and thould be 

 watched for, or they will eat off a batch of seedlings in a single 

 night. Some of the strongest plants maybe expected to flower 

 the second year, but generally blossoms are not produced until 

 the third season. 



In dividing the tubers, which in this and most of the species 

 which have come under our notice, are email spherical potato- 

 like masses, and suspended from the collar of the plant by a 

 long footstalk, care must be taken to secure with each one of 

 the eyes developed at the coUar, the tubers themselves pro- 

 ducing none. 



Bomarea acutifolia is a native of the temperate parts of 

 Mexico, where several other species are found. — (IF. Thompson's 

 English Flower Garden, Revised by tlte Author.) 



NOTES ON VILLA and SUBURBAN GARDENING. 



The time of year has arrived when it will be necessary to set 

 about propagating hpdding plants, and, as I imagine, there are 

 very few whose gardens aijord the convenience of a greenhouse, 

 or a frame or two, and perhaps a few hand-glasses, who would 

 not like to raise many of their own plants. It is a very pleasant 

 and interesting employment, especially to those whose business 

 calls them away for the greater part of the day, and when taken 

 in time and ordinary judgment is used, the task is not a diflicult 

 one. It is reasonable to advise all those whose gardens are 

 situated in or near the smoky atmosphere of large towns, and, 

 perhaps, with scanty convenience, to aim at getting their young 

 plants rooted and well estabUshed before the dull days of au- 

 tumn and winter set in, and to begin to propagate those plants 

 first which take the longest time to establish with limited means. 

 This includes the different varieties of Verbenas, the several 

 sorts of Silver-variegated and Golden Tricolor Pelargoniums. 

 These last are mostly of slower growth than the coarser- growing 

 Bronze or Green Zonal varieties. Another reason for early pro- 

 pagation is, that when only a frame is used there is a chance of 

 working one batch of cuttings out of the way before others are 

 put in. 



In order to promote the quick rooting of Verbenas and other 

 Boftwooded plants, such as Heliotropes and Salvias, and many 

 other tender-wooded subjects, and likewise to secure a healthy 

 leaf-growth, it is much the best plan to prepare a bed of heating 

 material — such as leaves and manure of sufficient thickness, say 

 2 or 3 feet, beaten down tightly so as to prevent its heat from 

 becoming strong, a very gentle heat only being required ; or if 

 there happens to be an old Cucumber or Melon bed, which witli 

 the addition of a little material would produce the requisite heat, 

 so much the better. Place the frame upon this, fill-up inside 

 to within a foot of the glass and firmly beat down, and if the 

 cuttings are to be rooted in pots, cover the bed with h or 

 G inches of coal ashes finely sifted. The pots may be plunged 

 in these, which will keep the soil at a uniform heat. If the 

 cuttings are to be rooted in the bed — which plan I think is 

 much the better — instead of covering with coal ashes, 3 inches of 

 finely-sifted leaf mould and sand should be put evenly over the 

 bed and pressed firmly down when it is in a moderately dry 

 state. When the heat has risen, and there are no signs of its 

 afterwards becoming strong or violent, the cuttings may be put- 

 in about an inch apart ; make the soil firm about each cutting, 

 and afterwards water moderately. Allow no strong sun to get 

 at them until after they are rooted, neither allow the outtings 

 to flag. To prevent this, at times a gentle sprinkling overhead 

 should be applied, and a little air given them until they are dry 

 again. The cuttings ought not to be kept in a high tempera- 

 ture; only a mild and moderately moist one is needed. They 

 may have air at times, and sometimes the lights may be thrown 

 off for half an hour in warm mornings and nights. 



