B U L 



B U L 



diicc^ branching spikes of wliile flowcri?, grow- 

 ing in whorls round the stalks, with small 

 spaces between each. It has long, narrow, 

 spear-shaped leaves growing between the spikes, 

 but in the other sort they are naked. The 

 leaves in this are much thinner than in the above 

 species, and have uearce any down on their under 

 side; the spikes of flowers grow more erect, and 

 form a large l(30se spike at the end of every 

 branch. Itis a native of the West-Indies. 



The third has a woody square stem: the 

 leaves are serrate, sessile, acnniinate, and to- 

 nientose underneath: the flowers have a yellow 

 or orange colour, in close peduneled heads from 

 the axils two together on opposite sides of the 

 stalk and branclies. It is a native of Chili ; 

 ^nd flowers in May and June. 



The fourth species rises with a shrubby four- 

 cornered stalk eight or ten feet high, covered 

 with a pale loose bark, and sends out many side 

 branches. The leaves are five or six inches long, 

 stem-claspintr, acuminate, and downy on the 

 under side. The branches are terminated by 

 loose spikes of pale purple flowers, covered 

 with a mealy down. It is a native of tlie Cape, 

 and flowers in August and September. 



Culture. — ^The two first species may be raised 

 by sowing the seeds, procured in their capsules 

 from the places where they grow naturally, in 

 small pots filled with light' ea'rth, in the spring, 

 covering them liglitlv, and plunging them in a 

 h(>t-bed~, occasional light waterings being given. 

 The plants wlien sufficiently strong should be 

 carefully separated, and planted out singly in 

 other pots, being replunged in the hot-bed, 

 and due shade, water, and air admitted. When 

 these pots begin to be too small, they maybe re- 

 moved into others, and be placed in a refreshed 

 tan hot-bed, where they should constantly re- 

 main. They should have little water during the 

 winter season, but be kept warm. In summer 

 nnieh air and frequent refreshings of water, by 

 sprinkling the plants all over, are however use- 

 ful when the weather will admit. 



The other species may be increased by plant- 

 ing cuttings from the yoiuig shoots in pots ot 

 liglit earth in the early spring season, plunging 

 them into an old hot-bed, and, when they are be- 

 come well rooted, removed into pots and placed 

 in the shade till newly rooted, proper shade and 

 moisture being given. They may then be placed 

 ni a warm border till the approach of winter, 

 when they should be brought into the dry stove 

 or greenhouse for protection. In mild winters, 

 when protected from frost, it will sometimes suc- 

 ceed in warmsheltered bordcrsintheopcnground. 



The plants arc chiefly cultivated for ornament 

 and variety in the stove and greenhouse. 



BULB, a sort of large bud geiaerated on 

 the broad caudexes of plants within or in 

 contact with the earth, and which shoot down 

 their new roots directly into the ground; by 

 which circumstances they are distinguished from 

 buds, which are formed above the soil in the 

 manner just described. 



These are likewise further distinguished ac- 

 cording to the manner in which they are con- 

 stituted, into iunicated bulbs, s<juamous bulbs, 

 and suUd bulbs. The first sort is composed 

 of several coats, closely infolding each other, 

 as in the onion ; and tlie second is constituted 

 of diflerent thin scaly plates placed over each 

 other, similar to those in fish; as in the lily; 

 while the third has a solid compact substance 

 wiihnut anv coats or divis'ions, as seen in the 

 tulip. 



Bulb,?, like buds, Dr. Darwin observes, may 

 be distinguished into leaf-bulbs and flower- 

 bulbs ; as " when a tulip seed is sown it pro- 

 duces a small plant the first summer, which 

 dies in the autumn, and leaves in its place Oi>e 

 or more bulbs. These are leaf-bulbs, which in 

 the ensuing spring rise into stronger plants than 

 those of the first year, but no flowers are yet 

 cenerated; in the autunm these perish like the 

 former, and leave in their places other leaf-bulbs, 

 stronger or more perfect than their preceding 

 parents. 



" This succession of leaf-bulbs continues for 

 four or five years, till at length the bulb ac- 

 quires a greater perfection or maturity, necessary 

 for seminal generation, and produces in its place 

 a large flower-bulb in the centre, with several 

 smair leaf-bulbs around it." It is suggested 

 that this successive production of leaf-bulbs in 

 plants of the bulbous-rooted kinds before the 

 forming of a flower-bulb, is analogous to that 

 of the producing of leaf-buds on different trees 

 for manv years previous to production of flow er- 

 buds. Thus, apple-trees raised from seeds afford 

 only leaf-buds for a great number of years, but 

 afterwards produce both flower-buds and leaf- 

 buds. Hence it is conceived that the adherent 

 lateral or paternal progeny is the most easy and 

 simple, of course the first method of repro- 

 duction, and that the seminal progeny, for this 

 reason, is not generated till the more mature 

 age or more perfect state of the parent bud. 



The author of the Philosophy of Gardening 

 found, on dissecting two large roots of the onion 

 kind in full flower, that the stem of each of 

 them was surrounded by the cylindrical pedicles 

 of sfx or seven concentric leaves ; while the stem 

 iiself issued from the centre between three large 

 new bulbs in one of them, and two in the 

 other ; all growing from the same caudcx, 



