184 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 26, 1875. 



On the arrival of the bulbs they must be potted immediately. 

 They must not be put aside for a few days for a more con- 

 venient opportunity, or the delay of these "few days" may 

 be a fatal delay, for which most likely the sender of the bulbs 

 and not the receiver will have unjustly to bear the blame of 

 the failure. The bulbs may be potted one in a small pot or 

 several in a large pot, according to taste and the eiiect desired. 

 The soil may be any ordinary mixture of loam and leaf mould 

 or cocoa-nut fibre refuse, and the pots should be placed in a 

 greenhouse or frame. The bulbs should not be wholly covered 

 with the soil, and they must be watered carefully and sparingly, 

 for a plant without roots or foliage plainly requires but limited 

 supplies of water. If a portion of these bulbs emit roots, 



which all will not do, foUage will form and water mast be in- 

 creased to perfect it, and the plant then becomes established, 

 and will, with proper treatment, bloom year by year. 



For these established plants a sound pure loam is the most 

 suitable soil. They should be kept cool, and be carefully 

 watered during the winter ; but in the spring, when the foHage 

 is developed, they require to be watered freely. In May water 

 must be withheld, and the pots should be placed in a hot 

 sunny place, and have no water given them until August. A 

 moist spring, dry hot summer, genial autumn, and a tempe- 

 rate winter are the conditions suited to this type of Amaryllis. 

 When the pots are filled with roots the plants seldom require 

 to be repotted, as they are kept in health and under command 



Fig. 25.— AilABTLLIS BELLADONNA. 



by a proper system of watering and temperature, which governs 

 the periods of excitement and rest. 



But it is in permanent broad rows in the open air that the 

 fullest beauty of these charming Lilies is produced, and next 

 to that, perhaps, are the spikes from bulbs imported in good 

 condition and potted just at the right time. Their imposing 

 and lovely-tinted flowers are always enjoyable whether grow- 

 ing or used as cut blooms for the decoration of vases, for 

 which purpose they are admirably adapted. They associate 

 perfectly with Guernsey LUies, and both are worthy of culti- 

 vation and special attention at this period of the year. 



The old variety of the Belladonna can be purchased at a 

 cheap rate, and for cultivation in large numbers it is recom- 

 mended. Its colour is a delicate silvery rose, and it is very 

 fragrant. The spikes grow IJ to 2| feet in height, and are 

 Burmoanted by six tu twelve delightfully-scented flowers. 

 Handsome hybrid forms are also oiiered, varying from pure 



white to purple and crimson-striped flowers, aU of which are 

 worthy of cultivation notwithstanding that they are destitute 

 of foliage at the principal period of their attractiveness. 



By drawing attention to this popular species of Amaryllis at 

 the present time it is hoped that a seasonable hint may be 

 conveyed, leading to a more certain enjoyment of these charm- 

 ingly-tinted and imposing autumn flowers. — W. 



THE "WHITE WILLOW (Salix alba). 

 " Sir," said an old medical practitioner, " Providence points 

 out that the bark of the White Willow yields an antidote for 

 intermittent fevers ; it flourishes where they most prevail." 

 We will not dispute the logic of that inference, but it leads ua 

 to observe that on high grounds as well as in the low-lying 

 well-watered nooks of many parks we have noticed how highly 

 ornamental they were rendered by groups of this Willow. Tet 



