Greenhouse and Stove Plants 



o7 



There is one thing in their management 

 that those who essay their culture will do 

 well to bear in mind — that they do not, 

 especially the evei-green kinds, like their 

 roots disturbed. Disturbance is the less 

 necessary, as they do not need a great deal 

 of pot-room, and always do the best when 

 the roots have well filled the soil ; at the 

 same time this must not be carried too far 

 by allowing them to starve for want of 

 sufficient root space, or the flowers they 

 produce will not be so numerous or so fine, 

 nor will the plants increase as they 

 ought to do by throwing oft' oft'sets. They 

 can be raised from seed, and those who 

 take an interest in hybridising have an 

 ample field before them in raising new 

 varieties by crossing. 



When the seeds are ripe they should be 

 sown in well-drained pans filled with good 

 yellow loam, to which has been added as 

 much sand as will keep the soil in a con- 

 dition that the water can pass through it. 

 Cover the seeds slightly, and place the pans 

 in an intermediate temperature of 60° in 

 the night, and proportionately higher in the 

 daytime ; give as much water as will keep 

 the soil moist. When the young plants 

 make their appearance allow them plenty 

 of light ; as the days lengthen, give 5° 

 more heat in the night and 10° or 15° in 

 the day ; let them have enough water, and 

 admit air, as they will not make satis- 

 factory progress if too much confined. It 

 is not well to disturb them from the seed 

 pans until they have made several leaves 

 and the bidbs have begun to form, which 

 con lition they will be in towards the close 

 of summer if all has gone well with them. 

 They should then be placed singly in small 

 pots, well drained, and the soil pressed 

 quite solid about the roots. They generally 

 succeed better when the greater portion of 

 the bulb is covered in the soil than when 

 potted higher above it. This applies to 

 all their stages of growth. At once return 

 them to the coolest end of the stove, and as 

 the object is to keep them in growth sumniei' 

 and winter for a couple of years, so as to 

 save time, the temperature may now be 

 kept from 55° to 60° in the night and a 

 little more in the day ; they should be 

 attended to regularly with water. As solar 

 heat increases, raise the temperature pro- 

 portionately, and as soon as the soil is well 

 filled with roots, shift them into 4-inch or 

 5-inch pots, draining sufficiently and mak- 

 ing the soil quite solid, as in the first potting. 

 Grow them on without delay by constant 

 heat and moisture, and plenty of light all 

 through the summer and autumn ; winter 

 in a similar temperature to last year ; in 

 the spiing move them into 6-inch pots, 



and treat in every way as in the past' 

 summer. In the autumn place them where 

 they will be under the ripening influence 

 of all the sun and air possible, and 

 gradually withhold water ; through the 

 winter stand them on an airy shelf in a 

 temperature of from 46° to 50°, with just 

 enough water to prevent the leaves flagging ; 

 and in the spring again give more heat and 

 moisture. If the bulbs have attained the 

 strength that they should have from the 

 treatment prescribed, most of them will 

 flower ; after which give such as appear to 

 require it pots an inch larger, and place 

 them through the summer under similar 

 conditions to promote growth as hitherto 

 advised. In the autumn and winter repeat 

 the ripening and resting process, but never 

 attempt to keep them too cool in the winter 

 — through this cause innumerable quanti- 

 ties of these fine plants have been lost. In 

 their native country the only change they 

 are subject to is fi'om hot and damp in their 

 grooving season, to dry during the period 

 of rest, consequently they will not bear to 

 be kept too cold in the Avinter. For a time 

 they will stand a lower temperature than 

 that above given for their season of rest, 

 but there is always danger of their decaying 

 when so treated, and it also impairs their 

 strength. In succe_eding summers^give 

 small shifts when it is evident that they 

 need more room, but not otherwise ; as 

 they get strong they will push oftsets that 

 can be taken off and grown on singly, 

 managed as advised for the plants raised 

 from seed. The above treatment of course 

 ajjplies to seedlings that have been raised 

 fiom evergreen kinds, and are similar in 

 habit to the parents. To such as are 

 deciduous, no water must be given from 

 the time that the growth is fully matured 

 and ripened uj) in the autumn until they 

 are to be started in spring ; in other 

 respects the treatment required is the same. 

 Both the evergreen and deciduous kinds 

 want a plentiful supply of water whil t 

 they are making growth ; any stint at this 

 stage will be sure to impair their strength 

 and inflict serious injnry. They will also 

 be benefited at this time by a frequent 

 supply of manure-water not too stiong. 

 This splendid genus of plants has within 

 the last few years received from many 

 plant-growers the attention it deserves, and 

 has emerged from a state of comparative 

 neglect, to which it seems unaccountable it 

 should ever have been consigned ; yet that 

 it was so neglected is undoubtedly the 

 case, for there is ample evidence to prove 

 that Amaryllises were much more generally 

 grown half a centuiy since than they are 

 at present. 



