BULBS FOR WINTER FLOWERING. 185 



actly the same treatment, except that neither of these 

 can be made to flower so early as the Bermuda Lily. 



Freesia refracta alba is a more tender bulb and cannot 

 be submitted to the open air treatment to form roots like 

 the hardier bulbs. As the bulbs are small, they can be 

 placed in shallow boxes (three inches deep), two or three 

 inches apart, or in pots, using any good mellow soil. 

 Place them in a cool greenhouse ; under the benches will 

 do until they start to grow ; then place them in the light 

 and treat exactly as advised for Hyacinths, etc. The 

 flowers are pure white, and produced in great abundance. 



Calla (Richardia Ethiopica), or Lily of the Nile, is 

 not usually grown or classed as a winter flowering bulb, 

 but we have found that by using the dry, well-ripened 

 roots, as grown in California, it is one of the most profit- 

 able plants to force. These dry, well-ripened bulbs pro- 

 duce an abundance of fine flowers and make but very few 

 leaves, consequently by using such bulbs a great many 

 more flowers can be had on the same space than when the 

 foliage is kept on the plants as is usually done. 



TUBEROSES. 



Forcing the Tuberose, so as to have the flowers from 

 January to March, is an exceedingly difficult operation, 

 and is now but little attempted here, as present prices 

 will not justify it. The plant being of tropical origin, 

 to have it at all times in a growing state requires a high 

 temperature not less than an average of eighty degrees ; 

 consequently, few ordinarily-heated greenhouses or pri- 

 vate sitting-rooms are at a temperature high enough to 

 insure the continued and uninterrupted growth necessary 

 to the production of flowers in the dark winter months. 

 It is, however, comparatively easy to force so as to pro- 

 duce flowers during April. May, ard June, and again, 

 by retarding the bulbs, during November and December. 



