The Cultivation of the Cyclmnen. 415 



but should contain rough turfy lumps of moderate size to 

 keep it open. Set the bulbs in the pots so that one third of 

 their surface may be exposed at the top of the soil, and make 

 the soil moderately firm, in the ordinary way. Water them 

 until you are satisfied the soil is wetted through. Keep 

 them close and shaded until the leaves acquire a firm appear- 

 ance ; then inure them to the sun-rays by degrees, until they 

 get well established so as to bear full exposure, when they 

 may be turned out of the frame and placed in a northern 

 aspect, in which they may grow and mature their foliage, 

 and remain until they manifest symptoms of maturity in the 

 autumn. While in this situation they must be sparingly 

 watered, and subsequently, if wintered in a frame, as before 

 explained, the water must be entirely withheld. If this plan 

 of keeping them is adopted, they must be placed in the 

 frame in the same way as before, and treated similarly. 

 After this, the tubers may be considered to have reached a 

 mature flowering state ; and indeed it is highly probable that 

 blossoms will have already been produced, though, for the 

 sake of strengthening the plants, it is well to have these 

 early blooms removed. 



' TREATMENT FOR BLOOMING. 



After the plants are thus fully established, it is an easy 

 matter to bloom them. It will be found that some of the 

 bulbs start much earlier into growth than the others ; these 

 should be repotted first, using the same kind of compost as 

 before, and the same proportion of drainage materials like- 

 wise. Encourage these as much as possible by liberal treat- 

 ment, keeping them rather warm and moist. In this way 

 there will be a succession of flowering plants, from March or 

 April, until June. It is a convenient plan to divide the plants 

 into three batches, which can easily be done, by placing some 

 of them in a shady situation, and shifting them at different 

 intervals until all are done. The first batch of them, after 

 they have done flowering, must be put in a shady place, and 

 watered with caution, so that they may keep their leaves 

 healthy and perfect ; these being rested, will be the first to 



