562 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



EREMURUS. 



about it, but it is more vigorous on chalky 

 or warm soils, and dwindles on some cold 

 soils. 



E. ciliciciis is a recent introduction of 

 like stature and character, though distinct 

 as a species, and seems to be of like 

 value and hardiness. 



EREMURUS.— Noble bulbous plants 

 from Northern India, Persia, and Central 

 Asia, as yet little seen in our gardens, and 

 not free to grow in all soils. Most of the 

 kinds are handsome, and well suited for 

 the warm sheltered glades of gardens 

 where hardy flowers and plants are 

 grown in a natural and informal way. In 

 such a home they can be associated in bold 

 groups with some of the finest hardy 

 plants, with a background of shrubs. In 

 planting, however, care should be taken to 

 place the roots where they would not be 

 overgrown or shaded by other plants, so 

 that the crowns should receive the greatest 

 amount of sunshine during the ripening 

 period previous to going to rest. They 

 thrive admirably in deep, rich, sandy 

 loam, with the addition of some decayed 

 cow manure. My own plants were grown 

 in a bed filled in 3 ft. deep with a compost 

 of good fibrous loam, sharp river-sand, 

 peat, decayed cow manure, and charcoal, 

 with a well-drained sheltered situation 

 facing due south. Once well planted, 

 they should never be disturbed, as the 

 roots are extremely brittle and very liable 

 to injury. The surface soil above the roots 

 should be kept clean by hand weeding 

 and enriched by occasional surfacings of 

 old manure, leaf-soil, and a little grit, 

 thoroughly broken up and mixed together. 

 Autumn is the best period for planting, 

 which should take place as soon as the 

 young plants have ripened their growth, 

 the sites being well and deeply prepared 

 some little time beforehand, so as to allow 

 the soil to thoroughly settle before the 

 plants are placed in it. As the whole 

 family dislike stagnant moisture, care 

 should be taken to avoid this at the time 

 of planting, and in any favourable situation 

 this can be managed by spreading ont 

 the roots of the young plants upon the 

 prepared surface of the bed and covering 

 them with soil so as to form a mound. This 

 can be afterwards surfaced with Cocoa-nut 

 fibre refuse to exclude frost. In any case 

 it is a great advantage to keep the crown of 

 the plant slightly above the soil. It is 

 better to begin with three-year-old plants, 

 and care should be taken to obtain the 

 plants from a trustworthy source. 



A most interesting account of this 

 family, with a list of the species and 

 varieties known to cultivation, may be 



found in vol. xxix. (p. 96) of The Garden, 

 which cannot fail to assist those who con- 

 template the introduction of these beautiful 

 plants into their gardens. — W. J. G. 



Eremurus robustus. 



The Rev. F. Page-Roberts writes from 

 Scole Rectory :— 



" With a little trouble Eremuri may be 

 grown successfully by every lover of 

 beautiful flowers. All that :is necessary 



