896 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



vitality, even in the poorest conditions of 

 soil and exposure, growing indeed like 

 weeds, and so close that I have used them 

 between shrubs to keep the ground free 

 from weeds ; and well they do it, giving 

 very graceful bloom in masses towards 

 the summer and autumn. In rich light 

 soils they give little trouble ; in clay 

 soils where the drainage is less under 

 control they are apt to fail, but we have 

 seen them thrive in poor clayey soil if not 

 wet. In badly drained soils it is best to 

 grow them in raised beds of good soil. 

 All danger can be avoided by lifting, 

 though some hold that this is injurious. 

 The success which attends the planting 

 of dry bulbs during the early spring 

 months — frequently as late as April — is 

 the best proof that the harm from drying 

 such things is of small moment. Where 

 both systems can be pursued in one gar- 

 den a long succession of bloom will be 

 the result. The spring-planted stock of 

 this year may remain undisturbed through 

 the coming winter, to yield early bloom 

 next year, while the batch that remained 

 in the ground the winter previous is the 

 one to be lifted this coming autumn. In 

 this way there is little loss in a single year 

 by deterioration, and the corms if harvested 

 at the right time and well kept, i.e.., cool 

 and dry, will more than repay the labour 

 and trouble involved. Even in those gar- 

 dens where there is no real need to lift 

 the roots, the plan is of value for the 

 longer time of blooming it ensures. 



By reason of the many hybrids, chiefly 

 of T. Pottsi., the numbers of beautiful 

 things in this group are greatly increased, 

 a few of the most worthy being Etoile de 

 Feu, blood- red and yellow ; Gerbe d'Or, 

 golden ; Soleil Couchant, a very free 

 variety, golden yellow ; Transcendant, 

 orange-vermilion shade, one of the most 

 showy ; Aurore, orange-yellow, very large 

 and effective ; Phare, reddish crimson ; 

 Figaro, orange and maroon ; Germania, 

 brilliant scarlet ; George Davidson, with 

 flower stems 3 to 4 ft. high, and pale 

 orange-yellow flowers 3 in. across ; and 

 Vulcan, also a tall grower, the flowers 

 bright red with a yellow centre. These, 

 together with crocosniiceflora, Fottsi and 

 its variety grandiflora, make up a very 

 beautiful set of equal hardiness and use- 

 fulness in the open garden. Syn., Mont- 

 bretia. 



Culture in the West Country. — 

 We have seen the Tritonias (of the 

 Montbretia section) bloom every year 

 freely on poor clay ; the better soils and 

 more copious rainfall of the west make a 

 difference, and this note as to their culture 



in a Cheshire garden may be useful to any 

 who work under like conditions. "To 

 make them do well, the chief point is to 

 keep them thin, and so they must be 

 divided every year. This may be done 

 any time in autumn before the ground is 

 frozen up. My practice at Edge after 

 diggingthemup— suppose there aretwelve 

 stalks, that is, twelve bulbs in each clump, 

 with three or four young points to each 

 bulb — is to have fifty or one hundred pots 

 ready and to put three bulbs into each 

 pot, filling up with any waste soil, drainage 

 being superfluous. The less they grow 

 before March the better. They must not 

 be cut down till spring. When all the 

 pots are full they are placed together in 

 some sheltered spot out of doors and 

 well watered — for if kept dry they die 

 — then they are covered with a foot or 

 two, according to weather, of dry leaves 

 or other litter, enough to ensure their 

 safety from frosts. By the end of March 

 they are safe, and may then be planted 

 out anywhere, letting the bulbs be at least 

 6 in. deep, either amongst herbaceous 

 plants, which they like, or amongst low 

 shrubs. I have some in beds of dwarf 

 Roses, where they do and look very well. 



I As they increase at least four-fold every 

 year, the gardener must harden his heart 

 and not be tempted to let them grow more 

 densely, but, as he will find that most of 



, his friends have as many as they want, 

 throw the surplus on to the rubbish heap. 



I I find one morning in each year enough 



I for this work, which may be done in the 



i roughest and most hasty way without 

 detriment to the bulbs. Indeed, I have 

 sometimes buried the clumps in a soil 

 heap for winter, littering them over as 

 described, and planting the bulbs out by 

 threes in spring. The main objects are 

 not to let them get frozen, and not to let 

 them get dry or grow during winter. I 



j generally also replant three bulbs where 

 I dig up each clump. If the winter is 



I mild, these survive and the pots are not 

 wanted ; if they are killed, the pots take 

 their place. They flower better if a spade- 

 ful of rich stuff is put in w^here each pot 

 is planted. I recommend especially 

 Etoile de Feu, scarlet, A i both in colour 

 and habit ; Aurore, bright orange and 

 very robust, growing more than a yard 

 high ; Drapd^Or, bright yellow ; Solfatare, 

 pale yellow ; F^eii d Artifice and Bouquet 

 Far/ait, mixed orange and yellow ; Fottsi 

 gratidiflora, scarlet outside, yellow inside, 

 distinct and free flowering, with orna- 

 mental seed-heads."— C. Wolley-Dod, 

 Edge Hall. 



T. aurea. — This beautiful South 



