CHAMBERS'S INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE. 



latter prefer substantial, rich soil, and the others 

 such as are of a more sandy description. 



The Lily is the most showy genus of hardy 

 bulbous plants, as well as the most varied in size, 

 colours, and times of flowering. Of its many 

 species, the orange, scarlet, white, tiger, and turn- 

 capes, are old flower-border favourites ; but all are 

 surpassed by the recently introduced Lilium 

 (inratum, and other Japanese kinds, which are 

 found to be most valuable acquisitions, whether 

 treated as greenhouse or as hardy herbaceous 

 plants. Lilium giganteum is also a very distinct 

 and striking addition from India. 



The Tulip is the pride of the bulb-garden in 

 spring and early summer, or at least stands pre- 

 eminent in general estimation. Like many other 

 bulbs, it is a native of the Levant, and was 

 brought to its perfection in Holland, where tulip- 

 fancying was at one period a mania. The finest 

 tulip-gardens are at Haarlem, which has a warm 

 and saline climate, with a light and rich soil. 

 Round the roots and over the beds, sand is freely 

 scattered, so that the tulips seem as if growing 

 from a sandy beach. In this country, follow the 

 same practice. Plant in October, or early in 

 November. In forming a bed of tulips, the bulbs 

 should be set at a distance of seven inches apart, 

 and in straight rows, taking care to arrange the 

 different colours tastefully. To raise from seed, 

 or to improve the varieties by crossing, is a work 

 of time, and not to be thought of in ordinary 

 circumstances. The following is Hogg's criterion 

 of a fine variegated late tulip : ' The stem should 

 be strong, elastic, and erect, and about thirty 

 inches above the surface of the bed. The flower 

 should be large, and composed of six petals : these 

 should proceed a little horizontally at first, and 

 then turn upwards, fonning almost a perfect cup 

 with a round bottom, rather widest at the top. 

 The three exterior petals should be rather larger 

 than the three interior ones, and broader at their 

 base : all the petals should have perfectly entire 

 edges, free from notch or serrature; the top of 

 each should be broad and well rounded ; the 

 ground colour of the flower, at the bottom of the 

 cup, should be clear white or yellow; and the 

 various rich-coloured stripes, which are the prin- 

 cipal ornament of a fine tulip, should be regular, 

 bold, and distinct on the margin, and terminate in 

 fine broken points, elegantly feathered or pencilled. 

 The centre of each petal should contain one or 

 more bold blotches or stripes, intermixed with 

 small portions of the original or breeder colour, 

 abruptly broken into many irregular obtuse points. 

 Some florists are of opinion that the central stripes 

 or blotches do not contribute to the beauty and 

 elegance of the tulip, unless confined to a narrow 

 stripe exactly down the centre, and that they 

 should be perfectly free from any remains of the 

 original or breeder colour. It is certain that such 

 appear very beautiful and delicate, especially when 

 they have a regular narrow feathering at the 

 edge ; but the greatest connoisseurs in this flower 

 unanimously agree that it denotes superior merit 

 when the tulip abounds with rich colouring, dis- 

 tributed in a distinct and regular manner through- 

 out the flower, except in the bottom of the cup, 

 which should be a clear bright white or yellow, 

 free from stain or tinge, in order to constitute a 

 perfect flower.' 



In order to have tulips in anything like perfec- 



566 



tion, they require great care. As strong sunshine 

 injures them, they must be covered with a slight 

 awning from the sun's rays. They must also on 

 no account be allowed to go to seed, for in that 

 case the bulb is exhausted; to prevent which, 

 they should be watched when they approach per- 

 fection, and the head and stalk cut off. A usual 

 signal for cutting is when they cease closing at 

 sunset, or when the edges of the petals exhibit the 

 slightest appearance of withering. They should 

 be cut rather too early than too late. After 

 cutting, admit the sun to the stems; and when 

 these wither, which may be in June or July, lift the 

 bulbs, and lay them aside in a dry airy situation ; 

 there let them remain till the period for planting 

 before mentioned. 



The Gladiolus, a showy tribe, originated from 

 several species, natives of the Cape of Good Hope, 

 which, although of very recent introduction among 

 florists' flowers, now occupies even a more dis- 

 tinguished position among late summer and early 

 autumn flowers, than the tulip does among those 

 of spring and the first weeks of summer. The 

 named varieties .are counted by hundreds, which 

 are annually added to by dozens of deserving new 

 kinds. They succeed best in rich soils of mode- 

 rate texture, where neither exposed to excessive 

 drought nor scorching sunshine. The best time 

 for planting is about the end of March or 

 beginning of April, and the smaller bulbs should 

 be placed about three inches under the surface, 

 allowing a little more for those of larger sizes. 

 They should be taken up as soon as the stems 

 and leaves become withered, and after being dried 

 in moderately aired, cool vineries, or other con- 

 venient places, stored away among dry sand, 

 where safe from frost, till the return of planting- 

 time. Most of the varieties may be grown success- 

 fully in pots, among rich, lightish compost, and 

 plunged among sand or ashes, either under glass 

 or in open beds, till they commence flowering, 

 when they may be taken for the decoration of the 

 conservatory, greenhouse, or window-plant stands. 



Ixias are a numerous tribe of dwarfish, yet 

 elegant growing Cape bulbs, remarkable for the 

 beauty and great diversity of their colours ; and 

 although formerly deemed greenhouse plants, 

 many of the kinds stand permanently in the open 

 ground if planted in well-drained, light, rich soil, 

 at a depth of about four inches, and covered as- 

 well as surrounded with sand. In frosty weather, 

 cover with dry litter, straw, or fern-fronds, held in 

 place neatly by mats, nets, or cords. 



The Crocus and the Snowdrop are two small 

 bulbous plants, so well known for their hardy 

 growth that little need be said of them. Crocuses 

 are very various in colour blue, yellow, white, 

 and so forth ; and the principal thing in planting 

 is to dispose these colours in a pleasing variety. 

 Crocuses, like other bulbs, require occasional 

 transplanting : this may be done in October. 

 Of the snowdrop, there is a double-flowered 

 variety ; and another species, the Crimean (Galan- 

 thus pltcatus), which, although long known to bulb- 

 fanciers, was brought into more general notice 

 during the Russian war. 



Scillas, or Squills, are another race of pretty 

 spring flowers, in which the richest blue colours- 

 prevail, varied, however, in some of the kinds 

 with different shades of red and white. Dog's- 

 tooth violets are a small family of pretty bulbous 



