BULBS FOR FORCING. Greenhouse and Stove Plants 



83 



bear a liberal shift ; manage afterwards as 

 advised for the preceding summer. It will 

 take several years to get them up to a 

 large blooming state, during which time 

 they must be well siijsplied with root-room, 

 either by giving larger pots, or still better, 

 hj turning them out in a bed. In either 

 case, they will last in a healthy state for 

 some years, but, if in pots or tubs, they 

 must be regularly attended to during the 

 growing season with manure-water. 



The following are the most desirable 

 kinds : — 



B. Ariza. The largest grower ; it liears 

 splendid large heads of deep crimson 

 flowers, which ojien early in summer. A 

 native of Bogota. 



B. coccinea. A West Indian species, 

 vrith bright scarlet flowers. A summer 

 bloomer. 



B. erecta. A scarlet-flowered kind from 

 South America. 



B. grandiceps. This bears conspicuous 

 large heads of bloom, red in colour. From 

 the Caraccas. 



Insects. — The large leaves of these 

 Browneas do not offer much shelter for 

 insects ; a regular use of the syiinge 

 tlii'ough the growing season will usually 

 be found sufficient to keep them clean. 



BRUNSFELSIA. 



Evergreen stove plants of neat habit. 

 Their flowers are distinct in appearance, 

 and produced in suflicient quantities to 

 make them attractive ; yet they appear to 

 be now little thought of by plant growers, 

 as they are rarely seen. They can be pro- 

 pagated, and groAvn on under conditions 

 such as advised for Tabernoemontanas, 

 which see. 



The following are pretty kinds : — 



B. americana. Flowers yellow, pro- 

 duced eaily in summer. A native of the 

 West Indies. 



B. americana augustifolia. This also 

 has yellow flowers ; it blooms a little later 

 than the type species. From the West 

 Indies. 



B. imdidata. A white-flowered species 

 that blooms in summer. A native of 

 Jamaica. 



BULBS FOR FORCING. 



The different kinds of bulbs that are 

 used for forcing play an important part in 

 greenhouse decoration during winter, as 

 also in providing flowers for cutting. The 

 principal thing in the management of bulbs 

 for this purpose is to treat them so as to 

 get plenty of active roots in the soil before 



putting them in heat to excite top growth. 

 Without this there is little chance of success, 

 on account of the deficiency of feeding 

 fibres to support the advancing flowers and 

 leaves. For this reason the bulbs should, 

 before being put in heat, always be potted 

 long enough to admit of the soil being well 

 filled with roots. Hyacinths, which hold 

 tlie first place amongst the bulbs used in 

 this way, should be potted from the latter 

 end of September to the end of November, 

 according to when they are wanted in 

 bloom. Large pots are unnecessary, a 5 or 

 6 inch pot is big enough for the largest 

 bulb ; often two or three are put in each 

 one of that size, and the result is all that 

 could be desired. Good loam, with a sixth 

 of rotten dung and a good sprinkling of 

 sand, will answer. Drain the pots, press 

 the soil moderately firm, and put the bulbs 

 with their tops just above the soil. As 

 soon as they are potted plunge the pots in a 

 bed of coal ashes, or cocoa-nut fibre, and cover 

 them over to the extent of three or four 

 inches. There let them remain vmtil the 

 soil is full of roots. When Hyacinths are 

 to be grown in water, fill the glasses so that 

 the base of the bulbs will not quite touch 

 the water, and stand in a dark place until 

 a good quantity of roots are made. The 

 water should be changed before it gets at 

 all foul during the growth of the flowers. 

 Roman Hyacinths are often flowered in 

 shallow pans that hold ten or twelve to- 

 gether, or, if preferred, four or six may be 

 put in 6 or 7 inch pots. These little 

 Hyacinths bear forcing well, and come into 

 bloom long before the larger kinds can be 

 had. To flower in the middle of November 

 the bulbs should be potted as soon as they 

 are imported. Other kinds of bulbs in- 

 tended for forcing, such as Scillas, Tulips, 

 Narcissus, Crocuses, Snowdrops, &c., re- 

 quire to be placed deeper in the pots, so 

 that the bulbs may be entirely covered 

 with soil. Put from one to half a dozen 

 together in pots according to the size of the 

 respective bulbs and of the pots used. In 

 all cases see that the potting is carried out 

 early enough, so that they may be well 

 rooted before they are put in heat. Before 

 the latter is done see that the top-growth, 

 whicli will have made some piogress, is 

 gradually inured to the light, otherwise it 

 will be injured. As soon as this hardening 

 process is effected the bulbs must be stood 

 wliere they will get plenty of light, or the 

 leaves and flower-stems will be drawn up 

 weak, and their appearance spoilt. A night 

 temperature of from 50° to 60° is enough 

 for the bulbs above-named, with a little 

 more in the day ; if kept too hot they will 

 be injured. In all cases give some air 



