throughout the year, they would not impart to us 

 the delight they now do : their absence makes us 

 long for their return. The constant variation and 

 succession of all terrestrial objects, constitute one 

 of the chief sources of our happiness." 



If the bulbs be planted in the borders, or on se- 

 parate beds, about the middle of April, the spring 

 frosts will have ceased before the leaves appear 

 through the soil, and no protection be required to 

 be given them. To produce earlier flowers they 

 may be put into pots in a common hotbed, in the 

 beginning of March, and watered sparingly till the 

 leaf appears. If a sufficiency of air be allowed 

 them, they will bear exposure early in May ; and 

 then should be turned into the borders for flower- 

 ing, taking care to retain the balls of earth quite 

 perfect about the roots, which will be much assisted 

 by a copious watering supplied a few hours before 

 their removal. They neither increase as fast, nor 

 flower quite as freely if left in the pots. The roots 

 should be taken up before frosts commence, and 

 those bulbs which are attached together should re- 

 main so ; then be gradually dried, and afterwards 

 secured in paper bags, and kept in a cool dry place 

 till spring. 



The Tigridia increases its bulbs rapidly, and also 

 produces seeds, from which it may be raised by 

 sowing them in pots, in a hotbed, in the spring. 

 The seedling bulbs will, of course, require taking 

 up as before directed ; and they will flower, some 

 in the second, and the remainder in the third year. 



The root is an ovate bulb, which is eatable when 

 roasted, tasting like a chesnut. 



Hort. Kew. 2, v. 4, 137. 



