408 FLORA DOMESTICA. 



freshed with water every second, or if very hot, every day ; 

 but if there be much rain, they must be sheltered from it. 



When the flowers begin to open, they should be placed 

 under cover to preserve them from rain ; but must be 

 allowed plenty of fresh air, or the colours will lose their 

 brilliancy, and soon decay. If rightly managed, they will 

 continue in beauty a full month ; and, though they afford 

 no perfume, their beauty alone entitles them to a first rank 

 among the children of Flora. 



After the flowers have decayed, the leaves will continue 

 growing all the winter ; they must be defended from frost, 

 but should have as much free air as possible in mild 

 weather : when it is both mild and dry, they may stand 

 abroad in the middle of the day. The roots should not be 

 removed oftener than every fourth year, towards the end 

 of June, or early in July ; they should then be replanted 

 in fresh earth, and the offsets planted in separate pots. 

 These young plants will produce flowers the third year. 



The bulbs of this Lily do not flower every succeeding 

 year, as most bulbs do ; but if they contain two buds in 

 the centre, as is often the case, they will flower twice in 

 three years ; after which the same root will not flower 

 again for several years, but only the offsets from it. 



A species of the Amaryllis (A.-disticha) is in great esteem 

 with the Hottentots for poisoning their arrows when they 

 shoot game. They call it Mad-poison. It is the bulb 

 which affords the poison ; and that is supposed to be more 

 powerful when it grows in the shade, than when it is ex- 

 posed to the sun. 



