ON THE CULTURE OF BALSAMS, &.C. 105 



ARTICLE VII.— Ow the Culture of Balsams. By Snow- 

 drop. 



Your coiTespondent St. Patrick has said enough on the culti- 

 vation of this flower, to deter any one, who has not " all ap])liances 

 and means to boot," from meddling with it. Should it have this 

 eflcct on any of the votaries of Flora, I can can give them 

 some comfort in the assurance that they may raise Balsams by 

 simpler means than those which he has detailed. Last year, I 

 sowed the seed on a south border at the beginning of April, and 

 protected it with a hand glass, (a flower pot would have done as 

 well.) As soon as the plants were fit to transplant, I put some 

 into the parteiTc, and others into a bed of good soil, and without 

 any further care or jiains, except occasionally watering, I had as 

 fine plants, and as fine bloom, as any I have seen produced by 

 other and more troublesome methods. 



May 3(1, lb33. Snowdrop. 



ARTICLE VIII. — On Flowerincf the Amaryllis vittata. 

 By Eboh. 



My experience has taught mc that the bulbs of this species of 

 Arauryllis will not flower freely before they liave attained the size 

 of nearly two inches in diameter ; and not to be disappointed in 

 flowering bulbs of this size, an early growth in the Spring and an 

 early decay in Summer arc two necessary requisites. The gi'owth 

 of the plant for some time after the flowering is over, is encou- 

 raged, in order to ripen the bulb to perfection ; on this depends, 

 in a great measure, its certainty of flowering the following season. 



In February, I shake ofllhe earth from the roots and plant each 

 bulb in a pot suited to its .'•ize ; Uie soil I use is a very rich sandy 

 loom. I do not cover the bulbs, but place them about one half their 

 depth in the soil. I water them and then ])lace them in a warm 

 situation, on the flue in a forcing stove. When they begin to 

 grow^ 1 put each ))ot into a feeder filled with sand, and keep them 

 well supplied with water. When done flowering, the watering is 

 gnidually lessened, until th<" foliage begins to decay. The pot is 



