NAT. ORDER. AMARYLLIDACEiB. 23 



often, nor send out as many offsets, as when they are placed in a 

 moderate stove in winter. This sort will produce its flowers two 

 or three times in a year, and is not regular to any season, but may 

 be found in blossom from the beginning of March till the begin- 

 ning of September. The flowers are always produced when the 

 roots are in full vigor. The bulbs, when they are to be left in the 

 ground all the winter, should be planted at least four inches deep 

 in the ground. In general, however, it is safer to take up the 

 bulbs, and to keep them dry all the winter, like tulips. These 

 bulbs will flower beautifully, like hyacinths, in glasses : they will 

 also flower if hung up in a room, and kept moist by wrapping 

 moss around them. AVlien planted either in pots or in the open 

 ground, it should be in rich soil; and the bulbs should be kept 

 dry during winter, and well watered just before they are going 

 into flower in spring. 



This plant is also propagated by offsets, which may be taken 

 off every year. The best time to part these roots is in Auo-ust, 

 that they may have time to take good root before winter ; and, in 

 doing this, great care should be taken not to break off the fibres 

 from their roots. They should be planted in pots of a middlincr 

 size, filled with light kitchen-garden earth ; and, if they are kept 

 in a moderate degree of warmth, they will produce a laro-er quan- 

 tity of flowers. 



Medical Properties and Uses. This plant has never been suf- 

 ficiently tested in regard to its medical qualities, to allow us to 

 enter minutely into the details of its effect upon the human sys- 

 tem. The petals were formerly employed as a conserve, and 

 highly recommended for coughs, colds, and catarrhal affections. 

 It is prepared after the following manner : Take of the dried 

 petals, four ounces ; Ulmusfulva, slippery elm bark, eight ounces ; 

 white sugar, two pounds ; Capsicum bacatum, cayenne pepper, 

 half an ounce; all finely pulverized. Mix, by addinw sufficient 

 v/arm water to make it into bread. Roll into small cakes, and djy. 



