282 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



quince trees, breaking the tender roots 

 and leaving the soil harder than before, 

 is a frequent cause of faihire. Mulch- 

 ing and salt will keep the soil in just 



the right condition.' 



CULTURE OF THE TUBEROSE. 



BY E. W. BPSWELL, BOSTON, MASS. 



As the time is upon us for starting 

 in growth taberose bulbs, for bloom in 

 the holidays, it is thought a few hints, 

 prompted by practical experience, may 

 be acceptable to your readers. This 

 flower, the Polianthes Tuherosa, of the 

 botanists, may be, and is cultivated 

 with passable success by being planted 

 out with gladiolus, and other similar 

 roots ; but as it is susceptible of being 

 forced so as to give from thirty to forty 

 flowers, why should we content our- 

 selves with half our bulbs blossoming, 

 and they producing only half a dozen 

 small flowers each"? 



To bring it to its highest condition, 

 a few general principles are to be kept 

 in view. First, the bulbs should be 

 well grown and strong, having nursed 

 but few offsets in their previous growth. 

 Second, they should never feel a colder 

 temperature than forty five degrees 

 Fahrenheit (even in their quiet state), 

 otherwise the bulbs are weakened, which 

 will be shown by the blighting of the 

 flower-buds. Third, (and this applies 

 with more or less force to all vegetation), 

 never allow them to make growth of 

 foliage without having well-established 

 roots. To this end, keep the bulbs, 

 while in a quiet state, in a uniformly 

 dry and warm atmosphere. Fourth, 

 they are gross feeders, and being natives 

 of a warm climate, can hardly be pushed 

 too hard after they have begun their 

 growth. This may be considered funda- 

 mentally essential to success. 



The plan of culture given below I 

 have adopted as best calculated to 

 govern the supply of heat and food, but 



it may be varied to suit other circum- 

 stances, keeping in view the foregoing 

 general principles. 



Divest the bulb of its scales, and 

 with a knife remove all embryo iDulbs. 

 Follow this up, during the growth, by 

 splitting them off" as soon as they ap- 

 pear above ground. Prepare seven-inch 

 pots by filling one- third with old cow 

 manure gathered in tiie pasture, broken 

 fine, or its equivalent, and fill up with 

 good, rich compost of equal parts of 

 loam, sand, and well-rotted manure, in 

 which plunge the bulbs nearly to their 

 tips. Of coui-se a space is to be left 

 for watering when growth has com- 

 menced. If a hot-bed or other bottom 

 heat is at command, plunge the pots to 

 the rim and cover the plants from the 

 light, for by this, root growth is induced 

 in advance of foliage, thus securing 

 strength. Give only sufficient water to 

 preserve moisture until foliage appears, 

 then remove the shade and gradually 

 increase the watering until the blossom 

 stalk begins to spin up, when a full 

 supply should be given. Liquid man- 

 ure twice a week will not be too high 

 feed for them. But little further care 

 is necessary, except to divest them of 

 offsets, as before directed, until the 

 approach of cold nights, when they 

 should be removed to the conservatory, 

 or other warm quarters. By shading 

 from the sunlight when in full bloom, 

 they, like all other delicate flowers, 

 may be prolonged in their season of 

 beauty. Bloom may be expected in 

 about four months from the time of 

 potting, and such bloom as will well 

 repay all extra care or trouble. 



Abutilon Boulb de Niege is as yet the 

 best white-flowering abutilon in cultiva- 

 tion. It is of dwarf, compact growth, 

 and an abundant bloomer, thus rendering 

 it one of the most desirable of the whole 

 tribe for the decoration of the greenhouse 

 or window garden. 



