346 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
Umserzatus, the Umbel-flowered narciss. Jonquilla remains Jonauinna, the 
Rush-leaved narciss. Viridiflorus remains unchanged, save in form, Viript- 
FLORENS, the Green-flowered narciss. Elegans is renamed SreLxatus, the Star- 
flowered narciss. Serotinus gives place to NunirLorens, the Naked-flowered 
narciss, the flowers appearing without the leaves. Canariensis is renamed Mrnimr- 
FLORENS, the smallest-flowered narciss. 
Group 3, Multiflores— Tazetéa is placed under the old garden name, PoLyaNTHAUS, 
the many-flowered narciss. Pachkybolbos is renamed RorunprFLorENs, the Rocnd- 
flowered narciss. Broussonetti is renamed CAMPANULATUS, the Bell-flowered 
narciss. 
Two reputed species are suppressed, namely, Triandrus, which is regarded as a 
variety of Calathinus, and renamed Reriexus-coNsTRioTUS, the constricted or 
very much Reflected narciss; and Bifforus, which is regarded as a variety of 
Poeticus, and renamed AnNULATUS-BIFLORENS, the two-flowered Ringed narciss. 
CULTIVATION OF THE LILY OF THE VALLEY IN 
GERMANY. 
a) WRITER in the Hamburger Gartenzeitung gives some particulars of the 
raising and forcing of the Lily of the Valley in the establishment of E. 
C. Harmsen, of Hamburgh, where it forms one of the principal objects 
of culture. It is in this and other nurseries in Holstein, not far distant 
from Hamburgh, that the Lily of the Valley is cultivated in vast 
quantities for export. Millions of crowns, is it stated, are annually sent out from 
the one establishment named. ‘The-soil in which it is grown is a sandy 
loam. In autumn the ground is prepared by trenching to a good depth, 
and liberal manuring with rotten stable dung. It is then laid out in beds 
about four feet wide, with intersecting paths a foot wide. Six rows of plants 
are put in these beds, in furrows three to four inches deep, or so deep that 
the beds are covered with at least an inch of soil. When time is of import- 
ance, or the soil is rather moist, it is customary to take out the soil from the first 
bed to the required depth and wheei it to the side of the one to be planted last. 
The crowns are then distributed regularly over the surface, and the soil from the 
rext bed thrown over them. After the surface of the soil is hard enough to admit of 
its being trodden upon, the beds are mulched with rotten dung, to nourish the plants 
when growth commences in spring, and also to act as a protector from frost duriug 
the winter, This is all there is to be done the first season, and nothing but weed- 
ing the second and third year is necessary till about the middle of October of the 
third season, when the plants are ready to! lift. The ‘labour of lifting and sort- 
ing the large flowering roots from the smaller ones is quickly performed. The 
former are stored away in a cold house after shortening the fibrils, and the latter 
ranged in layers and tan-pits. For early forcing, the strongest and ripest sets are 
selected. The bed of a propagating-house with bottom-heat has a layer four inches 
thick of sand, into which the roots, wrapped in moss, are plunged. With a bottom- 
heat of 65° to 75° at the beginning, the watering is liberal, and after three days 
the heat is increased from §S° to 100°, and maintained at this until the appearance 
of the shoots above-ground. It is better to cover the beds with sashes, and shade 
in sunny weather. ‘To have the Lily of the Valley in flower by Christmas, it is 
necessary to commence about November 23 or 24, and carry out the preceding 
instructions. The great bottom-hcat is especially necessary for very early forcing. 
Tur Evrexa Post Box, the invention of Mr. J. Lovel, of Weaverthorpe, 
mear York, is a simple contrivance, specially designed for the transmission of 
plants, flowers, and fruits through the post office. The boxes aze made of card- 
board, at a very small cost for material, and as no paste or stitching is required, a 
handy boy can make them at the rate of twelve per hour. A pattern of the box 
will be supplied by Mr. Lovel for a mere trifle. As a proof of the value of the inven- 
tion, it may be mentioned that a portion of a bunch of grapes forwarded through 
the post in one of these boxes came to hand in excellent condition. 
