ALE 



ALE 



fed as an ornamental plant. It is a native of the 

 Cape (if Gcod Hope. 



The fourth species, or Ceylon Aletris, has the 

 firM leaves lanceolate, flat, erect, and short ; the 

 rest subulate, seiuievlindrical, channelled, and 

 very long. It has fleshy, creeping roots, which 

 multiply greatly, and seidoin rises more than six 

 inches in height. 



Cut in the Guinea Aletris all the leaves are 

 lanceolate, flat, and erect. They are in both of 

 a pale green colour, with bands of a darker 

 ■green; and do nut appear to be specifically dif- 

 ferent. It has thick fleshy roots, like those of 

 the flas:, creeping far where they have room. 

 The leaves come singly from the root; are near 

 a foot and a half long, stiff", waved, proceeding im- 

 mediately from the root, as also the flower-steins ; 

 which when the roots are strong are often a foot 

 and a half in height, adorned almost the whole 

 length with flowers of a clear white, but which 

 seldom continue in beauty more than two or 

 three days, and never produce seeds in this cli- 

 mate. It is often known by the title of Guinea 

 Aloe. 



The fifth species rises with an herbaceous stalk 

 to the height of eight or ten feet, having many 

 joints, ana is adorned toward the top with a head 

 'of leaves, which are of a deep green colour, and 

 reflex at their ends, embracing the stalks with 

 their base. The flower-stems arise from the 

 centre of the heads, and are generally two feet in 

 •height, branching out on each side, being fully 

 garnished with white flowers, in shape sonie- 

 ivhat like those of the second sort; but these 

 open only in the evening, when they emit a 

 most fragrant odour, closing again in the morn- 

 ing, and are not of long duration. They are 

 however sometimes succeeded by seeds, but 

 which arc seldom capable of producing plants. 



The roots in all the different species are thick, 

 fleshy, fibrous and creeping; and from their man- 

 lier of growth some of the sorts have been deno- 

 minated Mots. 



Culture: — The propagation of these plants 

 may be effected either by suckers and offsets 

 from the roots, or by seeds; but as the last sel- 

 dom ripen sufficiently in this climate, the former 

 is the most general method in most of the sorts. 

 As the first Two species send offshoots very spa- 

 ringly, they are raised with more difficulty than 

 the last two, which afford heads from their creep- 

 ing i roots, and the sides of the stems, in a much 

 more abundant manner. The third kind is most- 

 ly raised from seed, which it affords in great 

 plenty. 



In the propagation of these plants by the first 

 method, the offsets, side-shoots, or heads, should 



he taken off in the summer months, and he plant- 

 ed out in small pots of good light sandy earth, 

 which must then be placed in a moderate bark 

 hot-bed. In the last sort, the side heads, after 

 being taken from the steins, should be placed in 

 the stove for several days, that their wounds may 

 be healed before they are planted in the pots. 



In the second mode, or that of raising the 

 plants from seed, they should be sown in pots 

 immediately after they become perfectly rip;, 

 and be protected during the ensuing winter by a 

 good hot-bod frame and lights. When the 

 plants appear in the spring they should be gra- 

 dually inured to the action of the open air ; and 

 after they are become of a sufficient size, some of 

 them may be planted out in warm borders in dry 

 light soils : but as they are very liable to be de- 

 stroyed in severe winters, a few plants should al- 

 ways be put in pots, in order to preserve the kind, 

 by being protected under glasses in sharp sea- 

 sons. The third sort is the best propagated in this- 

 wav. 



The after-management that is necessary is dif- 

 ferent in the different kinds. 



The first sort, though tolerably hardy, require* 

 the protection of a hot-bed frame during the 

 winter, in order to preserve it. As the roots in 

 this sort increase very slowly, and the seeds sel- 

 dom become sufficiently ripened in this climate 

 to produce plants, they are very seldom met 

 with. 



The pots in the second sort should be sheltered 

 in a dry airy covering of glass, in winter, as 

 the plants are too tender to thrive in the open 

 air in this country : they should be removed into 

 this situation in October, being sparingly watered 

 during the winter season. About May they mav 

 be placed abroad in a sheltered situation, and in 

 warm weather be frequently refreshed with water. 

 In this management the plants often flower; but 

 as they seldom perfect their seeds here, or increase 

 much by roots, they are very scarce. As in the 

 third sort the plants will seldom have acquired 

 sufficient vigour or hardiness in the first season 

 to bear the effects of cold, the\ T should receive 

 the protection of glasses in the second winter as 

 well as the first. 



The fourth and fifth kinds of Aletris are too 

 tender to live through the winter in this climate, 

 unless placed in warm stoves ; and do not pro- 

 duce flowers if the plants be not plunged into 

 tan-beds ; for though they may be preserved in 

 dry stoves they make but little progress. In a 

 tan-bed they always advance faster; the leaves 

 aie much larger, and the whole plant considera- 

 bly stronger. The Guinea Aletris sometimes 

 flowers in a dry stove ; but the flower-stems are 



