8o 



THE HOME FLORIST. 



flowers which are produced in spring, and other good qualities. The family consists of numer- 

 ous classes, including the Early and Late Flowering, both double and single, Parrot, Due Van 

 Thol, Bizarres and Byblooms, in different varieties and colors, all of which are highly desirable. 

 The gorgeous coloring in many of the improved varieties is remarkable, and a superiority 

 can be claimed for the family in this respect over any other in cultivation to an extent. 

 Among the large and most double varieties, as well as the single, are to be found distinct, pure 

 white, pure white striped with rose, intense scarlet, velvety crimson, rich bright yellow, glitter- 

 ing red, and many other colors. Tulips should be planted in the autumn, as directed on pages 

 14-15, at a distance of five or six inches apart, giving the tall, late varieties even a little more 

 distance, and all about five inches deep. They are also very valuable for forcing in the window 

 or conservatory in winter, like Hyacinths, Crocus, etc., and special directions for their manage- 

 ment here, are given on page 21. 



55- Flowering Pea. 



Fig. 56. Double Tuberose Flower. 



TUBEROSE (Tender Bulb). 



A bulbous plant, far less commonly grown than its abundant merits deserve, producing many 

 beautiful pure white, wax-like, sweet-scented, double flowers, on long, upright stalks. The only 

 difficulty in the way of this magnificent flower being generally cultivated, is, that unless the 

 tubers are started early, in artificial heat, our seasons in the North are not sufficiently long for 

 it to flower in the open ground, and, then, unlike the Gladiolus, Tigridia, etc., the bulbs do not 

 produce new bulbs each year for flowering the next. They produce small bulblets freely, with 

 each season's growth, but these must be cultivated one, two or more years before they will 

 be sufficiently large for flowering. The first difficulty may % be overcome by starting the bulbs 

 in pots, in a warm place, late in April and turning them into the garden soil the latter part of 

 May. Should frost, in September, threaten to destroy the flowers before all are expanded as 

 they open for several months in succession no plants of the garden are easier to take up, and 

 the roots may be carefully lifted and transplanted to pots, for removal to the" conservatory or a 

 warm, light window, where they can finish blooming. Although the Tuberose requires consid- 

 erable heat to flower well, growing bulbs may be transplanted, either in the spring or fall, with 

 safety. To secure bulbs for flowering, the young bulblets should, in the fall or spring, be 

 removed from the old bulbs and be planted in a warm part of the garden, not earlier than the 

 first of June, and given clean culture until the first of October. This must be repeated each 

 year with all that are desired for flowers, until they are strong enough to produce flowering 

 shoots. The bulbs of this plant require to be kept in a dry condition, where it is warm during 

 winter. The temperature should not fall far below 45, else they may receive injury, by the 

 germ of the next season's flowering shoot decaying, although the external appearance of the 

 bulbs would not indicate it. The Tuberose is susceptible of being managed to flower in winter 

 by keeping the bulbs dry and starting them at any time, or at intervals for succession up to 

 August 1st; but they require a situation where the thermometer, in the night, will indicate 

 at least 60, and ten or fifteen higher during the day, otherwise any attempt to force them will 

 be fruitless. 



