HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 327 



ful flower, which increases rapidly and is an accession to any 

 garden. The bulbs can be treated the same as the gladioli. The 

 blossoms are of two colors, — a pure white and a delicate pink. 



In this paper the bulbs of which I speak are only the late 

 spring or summer flowering out of door varieties. I therefore 

 pass over the tulip, hyacinth, crocus, and narcissus. Of these 

 the tulip is too well known to require comment, — more than to say 

 that for intensity of color it has no equals, — while the hyacinth 

 and narcissus generally require better attention than the ama- 

 teur can usually give them. 



But I must not omit to speak of a grand section of bulbs which 

 are of rare beauty and which are very soon destined to become 

 general favorites. I refer to the tuberous rooted begonias. 

 These, although similar in leaf and flower to several of the be- 

 gonia plants, are yet very different. The bulbs, which are to be 

 planted out each spring, are about the size of a twenty -five cent 

 piece and flat, about half an inch thick. They are genuine 

 bulbs and not plants, the foliage dying down each autumn, when 

 the bulb is to be taken up and kept through the winter in a dry 

 cellar. The colors range through various shades of red, yellow 

 and white. When planted in the late spring, in rather a shady 

 place where they will get moisture, they commence blossoming 

 when very small and continue through the entire summer, 

 giving a flower and foliage which are unique and beautiful, and 

 of such delicacy of coloring in flower and leaf as to harmonize 

 with the most delicate flowers like the heliotrope and carnation 

 or the most delicate tea rose. I would recommend all amateurs 

 to try a few bulbs, for they make a choice bouquet or corsage 

 flowers. 



Asparagus tenissimus is a comparatively new bulb, of the 

 same family as the common garden asparagus, but it has a deli- 

 cate and beautiful foliage, fully equal to smilax, and it is easily 

 cultivated. 



Of the dahlia — the favorite of our grandmothers — I will not 

 take time to speak, more than to say that no bulb, except it be 

 the gladiolus, has responded more beautifully to cultivation than 

 this. It was discovered in Mexico by Baron Humboldt in 1789 

 — just a century ago — and by him sent to Madrid to Prof. 

 Cavanilles, of the Botanical Garden, who gave the genus the 

 name of dahlia, in honor of the Swedish Professor, Dahl. From 

 the single, common variety have come by cultivation the various 

 double flowers with the many shades of crimson, j)urple, white, 



