BUPLEURUM. 



BUTTERFLIES. 



twice exactly in tlie same spot. Ex- 

 perience proves, that certain bulbs 

 which are in a state far removed 

 from Avild nature require the greatest 

 care to preserve them from disease, 

 such as the cultivated Hyacinth. 

 These, therefore, must be taken up 

 every year, and carefully preserved; 

 ■while others, comparatively incapa- 

 ble of much cultivation, such as the 

 Snowdrop, may be left in the ground 

 a number of years without injury. 

 Bulbs are generally propagated by 

 little bulbs, produced by the side of 

 the old ones, which are called off- 

 sets ; but, like all other plants, 

 they may be propagated by seeds, 

 and from these, in the case of the 

 Crocus and Hyacinth, the Crown 

 Imperial, I'ris Xlphium, and Tris 

 Xiphioides, an endless number of 

 beautiful varieties may be produced. 

 This furnishes a fine source of inter- 

 esting amusement to the amateur. 

 The seeds should be sown in beds of 

 light earth, where the plants may 

 remain till they come into flower, 

 which "wdll generally be in from 

 three to five years. The soil for 

 almost all bulbs should be a free 

 sandy loam, and the situation open, 

 and fully exposed to the sun. 



Bulboco'dium. — Melantlidcece. 

 — Bulbous plants, natives of Spain 

 and the Crimea ; flowering in ]\Iarch 

 and August, and of easy culture in 

 loamy soil. B. Vbrnum, which does 

 not grow above four inches in height, 

 is a desirable plant for growing in a 

 pot. 



Bulboco'dium. — The Hoop-pet- 

 ticoat Narcissus.- — A pretty little 

 species, not above six inches high. 



Buplec'ku:j. — UmbeUifcne. — 

 Hare's-ear. — Hei'baceous plants, 

 w-ith greenish-yellow flowersj and 

 very glaucous or bluish leaves. 

 They are natives of Europe, and 

 will grow in any common garden- 

 soil. Several shrubs are included 



by some botanists in this genus ; 

 but they were separated by Spren- 

 gel, and formed into the genus 

 Tenoria. These are rather tender, 

 being natives of the shores of the 

 ^Mediterranean and the Cape of Good 

 Hope ; but near London they will 

 bear ordinary winters in the open 

 air. They should be grown in sandy 

 loam. 



Burto'nia. — Legiiminosce. — 

 New Holland shrubs, of which B. 

 conferta was the first species intro- 

 duced. It grows to the height of 

 two feet, and produces its violet- 

 coloured flowers from July to Sep- 

 tember. B. lyulchella is, however, 

 far more beautiful. It has heath - 

 like leaves, and clusters of very 

 large bright scarlet flowers at the 

 end of the branches. It is a native 

 of the Swan Eiver settlement, and 

 was introduced in 1S48. For its 

 culture, see Australian Shrubs. 



Bctcher's Broom. — See Rt/s- 

 cus. 



Bu^TOMUS. — BiUomece. — The 

 flowering Rush. — One of the hand- 

 somest of British aquatic plants, 

 well deserving of cultivation. It 

 grows to the height of two feet, and 

 produces its elegant head of pink 



I flowers in June and July. 



j Butter and Eggs. — A kind of 



I Narcissus. 



Butterflies. — These beautiful 

 insects are never injurious to gar- 

 dens except in their caterpillar 

 state. As butterflies, they only 

 sip a little honey from the flowers ; 

 their sole business being to propa- 

 gate their species, and then they 

 die. Thus, the butterflies that are 

 almost always on the wing, and 

 which are the males, may be suf- 

 fered to flutter out their brief 

 existence unmolested ; but when a 

 butterfly is found sitting on a 

 branch with its wings folded, in 



i bright sunshine, it should be de- 



