448 SATURDAY IN MY GA11DEN 



fixes itself by means of aerial roots to the greenhouse woodwork 

 with the greatest facility. 



LILY OF THE VALLEY. Lilies of the valley at Christmas I The 

 thing is not impossible to the owner of a warm greenhouse, and it 

 has been rendered feasible owing to the practice of " retarding " 

 the crowns. These are roots that have been kept in a dormant 

 condition in a cold storage chamber. They are obtainable in 

 November at the establishments of any of the well-known florists 

 and seed merchants. 



The method of treating the crowns is clearly shown in Diagram 

 87. The roots will arrive in a bundle, as shown in Figure 1. 

 They should be shortened by cutting off the lower extremities 

 with a sharp knife. Ten or twelve crowns may be planted in 

 a five-inch pot filled with ordinary good potting soil. The pots 

 should be placed in a cold frame for three or four days, and then 

 be removed to the warm greenhouse. 



The flowering period may be regulated by the heat main- 

 tained in the glasshouse. If a uniform temperature of 70 be 

 possible they will flower in twenty-one days, but the amateur will 

 probably be content to keep his house slightly cooler, and to wait 

 for flowers a little longer. Retarded lily crowns should not be 

 forced in a strong light. They may be shaded in the manner 

 indicated in Figure 8. 



PRIMULA. For moderately warm greenhouse culture the 

 primula, especially the single-flowered Japanese and Chinese 

 varieties, forms a most accommodating and beautiful plant which 

 adds to the beauty of the glasshouse in early spring. The primula 

 is best raised from seed sown in succession during May and June. 

 A temperature of 60 is advisable to secure rapid germina- 

 tion. The seedlings may be pricked off into boxes or pans, and, 

 when further growth has taken place, be removed to small pots. 

 A cold frame will provide suitable quarters until the autumn, when 

 the young plants, which by this time should be strong and sturdy, 

 may be removed to the greenhouse for flowering. By this time 

 they will be in six or eight inch pots. A suitable soil for the final 

 potting is three parts of turfy loam and one part of well-decayed 



