62 THE UNHEATED GREENHOUSE 



of its kind, and quite as easy to grow as the others, and 

 the three are so entirely distinct that it is well to grow them 

 all. The tubers increase quickly. Two or three new ones 

 will generally be found on turning out the pots, and the 

 original tuber will exist for years, growing larger and 

 larger. A cultural hint may be found of use. It is better 

 to shake the tubers out of the soil very soon after the 

 foliage and stems are dead and dry and to pot at once for 

 the next year's flowering. The usual plan is to put them 

 carefully away until the autumn, but they have a habit of 

 taking their owner unawares and sending out a long, straggling 

 wire-like shoot, difficult to disentangle and easily broken 

 an injury irreparable for the season. If kept quite dry 

 they will not start any the sooner for being potted, but a 

 watchful eye must be kept upon their movements in early 

 autumn, so that a support of some kind may be supplied in 

 good time. 



The greenhouse must not be left tenantless in summer, 

 however, and an infinity of miscellaneous kinds remain to 

 be mentioned, like Arthropodium paniculatum, charming both 

 in flower and leafage, Veltheimia viridifolia, some of the 

 Ornithogalums, Watsonias, and Lilies one of the most 

 important groups of all, which must presently be taken into 

 consideration by themselves. Iris fimbriata, not much grown 

 and of unusual type, may here be recommended. The pale, 

 drooping, evergreen leaves resemble a broad-leaved grass, and 

 are at all times graceful, and the pale-blue crested flowers 

 which appear in May and June might be some delicately 

 tinted Orchid. Full exposure to sun and air and generous 

 treatment during the summer will probably overcome the 

 shyness to flower of which this beautiful Chinese species 

 is sometimes accused. Later in the year we may have 

 Nerines, another genus of Cape bulbs, represented by the well- 

 known Guernsey Lily, which, being autumn flowering, require 



