226 



THE FLORISTS MANUAL. 



Tuberoses. 



their seed leaves pot into 2% -inch and 

 keep them in a temperature of 50 de 

 grees. They will grow fast and in any 

 soil. If grown on the bench they will 

 quickly become unmanageable, so we put 

 them on a hanging shelf where they will 

 get air and light and be occasionally 

 short of water, which does not hurt them 

 at all, but induces them to flower. Their 

 roots, when put into the basket or vase, 

 have not much room to spread, and they 

 flower freely. 



There are many named varieties of the 

 tall growing nasturtiums, but we find a 

 good mixture answers every purpose. 

 In the dwarf or Tom Thumb strain for 

 bedding you can buy any variety true 

 to color and some of the foliage of these 

 is very distinct. 



Varieties of T. Lobbianum grow as 

 finely as the common nasturtium. The 

 foliage is somewhat smaller, but they 

 flower in great profusion. 



TUBEROSE -Polianthes Tuberosa. 



We can remember in another country 

 when, if asked to deliver a dozen tube 

 rose bulbs to a customer, they were as 

 much trouble to procure as it would be 

 now to get a young kangaroo from Tas 

 mania. And we can also remember when 

 they were used here with us to such an 

 extent that the people utterly tired of 

 them, or fashion said so. Twenty-five 

 years ago they were flowers of the first 

 importance. But how nave the mighty 

 fallen! To put in cheap cut flowers is 

 about all you can do with them. Never 

 theless they are beautiful, sweet flowers. 



The bulbs are now offered so cheaply 

 that the cost is of no consideration if 

 you have the room to grow them. The 

 raising of bulbs is done by planting the 

 young offshoots in the spring in good, 

 rich land, and in favorable seasons they 

 will make a flowering bulb by the follow 

 ing fall. But that had better be left to 

 those who have a suitable soil, a genial 

 climate and cheap help, although as far 

 north as Ohio good bulbs are raised. 



Tuberose bulbs should never be sent 

 by rail during a cold spell. A slight 

 frost will destroy them and a low tem 

 perature for a few days will much injure 

 them. When unpacked keep them in flats 

 in a shed which is never below 50 de 

 grees. We pull off all offshoots, scrape 

 off all signs of any side growth and cut 

 square off the hard root growtn below 

 the bulb. Fill some flats, such flats as 

 we use for tulips, with a mixture of 

 sand and loam, about half and half, and 

 plant the bulbs about two inches apart, 

 putting the bottom of the bulb an inch 

 into the soil. If kept moist with the 

 flats placed on or just over some hot 

 water pipes growth will soon begin and 

 in two or three weeks we pot them into 

 4-inch and place them in a mild hotbed. 

 This gives us good, strong plants by 

 starting them in March to sell at bea 

 ding time. 



For your own use you can start them 

 still later in the same way. Where you 

 have good light, warm soil you can plant 

 them out, but they come cleaner and 

 finer when grown in pots under glass, 

 and you have usually plenty of bench 

 room in the summer months. They make 



many roots and when growing want lots 

 of water. 



The spikes are now sold very cheaply, 

 but you should always raise a thousand 

 or more, for you can raise them very 

 cheaply, and although there is or was a 

 foolish prejudice against them, they are 

 sweet and most beautiful flowers and 

 will come in very useful on many occa 

 sions. 



VALLOTA PURPUREA. 



This is generally called amaryllis, but 

 is botanically a genus of its own, and 

 one of the most beautiful of its class. 

 Having seen some plants of it recently 

 groAvn in 8-inch pots with nine to twelve 

 spikes and thirty flowers, under the care 

 of a matron who had nothing but a cot 

 tage window, it seems worthy of sonic 

 notice. It flowers during summer. 



Three bulbs in an 8-inch pot will make 

 a fine display when they are well estab 

 lished. Dry bulbs can be bought in the 

 spring, but they should be treated a* 

 evergreen bulbs and during winter they 

 should be kept cool with less water, but 

 not dust dry, and should not be dis 

 turbed. Plant the bulbs four inches 

 below the surface. They may not flower 

 the first year, but will in a year or two 

 get well established, and in June or July 

 send up a number of spikes with their 

 handsome red and pink flowers. 



V. purpurea is the species, and V. pur- 

 purea eximia is grand. To grow them 

 well they should be given a cool but light 

 bench in winter and be kept moderately 

 dry. In May when they begin to grow 



