ALSTROMERIA. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. ALSTROMERIA. 417 



apart, and with I ft. from plant to plant. If 

 planted during the winter, they should be 

 placed from 6 in. to 9 in. deep, so as to 

 keep them from frost ; and a few inches 

 of half-rotten leaves shaken over the soil. 

 Should there be any difficulty in obtain- 

 ing established plants in pots to start 

 with, seed may be had ; and this sow in 

 pots or beds where the plants are to re- 

 main. The seeds should be sown 2 or- 3 

 in. deep, with three or four in a patch. If 

 well treated, they will begin to bloom at 

 a year old, and if not disturbed will in- 



varying much in their colour markings. 

 While growing and blooming they should 

 have occasional watering, otherwise they 

 get too dry, and ripen off prematurely. 

 A good mulching of old Mushroom dung 

 or of leaf soil is a great assistance while 

 in bloom. When going out of flower 

 carefully remove the seed-heads, other- 

 wise the plants are apt to become ex- 

 hausted, as almost every flower sets. In 

 removing the pods, do not shorten the 

 stems or reduce the leaves in any way, 

 as all are needed to ripen the tubers and 



Alstromeria (Peruvian Lily). 



crease in strength and beauty every sea- 

 son. If one takes the seed of Alstro- 

 merias as soon as it is ripe and sows it, 

 every seed will germinate the first season. 

 It is also much better to sow three to five 

 seeds in each pot and let the seedlings 

 remain in the same pot the first year. The 

 young plants of Alstromerias are very 

 difficult to handle, being as brittle as 

 glass, and a very great percentage will die 

 if replanted when still young. 



When grown in masses in this way 

 they are very beautiful, as every stem 

 furnishes a large number of flowers, 



form fresh crowns for the following year. 

 Any one having deep light sandy soil rest- 

 ing on a dry bottom may grow these 

 beautiful flowering plants without prepar- 

 ation ; all that is necessary being to pick 

 out a well-sheltered spot, and to give the 

 surface a slight mulching on the approach 

 of severe weather. No trouble is involved 

 in staking and tying, for the stems are 

 strong enough to support themselves, 

 unless in very exposed situations. They 

 last long when cut. 



The species in cultivation are 

 A. aurantiaca (A, aurea}. A vigorous 

 E E 



