ORNAMENTAL BULBS AND TUBERS. 



507 



Iris germanica (Flag-floiver) 



fragrans 



lusitanica 



xiphiijides 



Galantlius nivalis (Snmixlrop) 

 Fritillaria imperialis (Croum Imperial) 



pyrenaica 



lutea 



Liliura bulbiferum (Oraiu/e Lily) 



• candidum (While LUij) 



Catesbjei 



japonicuin {Japan Libj) 



jMartagon (Turk's Cap) 



tigrinum (Tirjer Lily) 



Colcliicum autuninale (Meadow Saffron) 



variegatuni 



Gladiolus communis (CoTVi-fla//) 



cardinalis (Scarlet Corn-flog) 



psittaciuus (Parrot-flower) 



byzantinus 



Crocus, different sorts 



Time of 

 Flowering, 



>ray 



June 



J [ay 



.Time 



Feb. Jlarch 



April 



June 



April 



June 



July 



Colour. 



Purple 

 Blue 



Height, 



3 ft. 

 1 to 2 ft. 



September 



June, July 



July and Aug. 



August 



June 



Mar. and Apr. 



White 3 in. 



Yellow 3 ft. 



Turple 1 to 2 ft. 



Yellow 1 ft. 



Orange 3 ft. 



White 



Scarlet 



White 



Purple 



Orange 



Purple 4 in. 



Light Purple 



Red 2 ft. 



Dark Red 3 to i ft. 



Scarlet and Yellow 4 ft. 



Purple Red 2 ft. 



Various 8 in. 



564. Tubers closely resemble in their nature what are called solid bulbs or 

 corms, and appear to be reservoirs of nourishment which have been laid up 

 by nature for the support of the infant plant. Some tubei's have numerous 

 buds in different parts of their substance, like the potato, and others have 

 only buds in the upper part, like the Dahlia and the Ranunculus. 



565. TJie culture of tubers depends in a great measure upon their nature; 

 and the principal tubers grown in the open ground being the Ranunculus, the 

 Anemone, and the Dahlia, we shall say a few words on each separately. 



566. Tlie Ranunculus. — The species of Ranunculus may be divided into 

 two kinds : border flowers and florists' flowers. The latter consist of some 

 hundreds of varieties obtained from the species Ram'incuhts asidticus, a native 

 of the Levant with tuberous roots, which is rather too tender to endure the winter 

 in the open air without some kind of protection, Thewild plant grows naturally in 

 Persia, in meadows which are moist during winter and in the growing season, 

 but di"y during great part of summer. Hence, one of the first requisites in 

 the culture of this flower is a loamy soil kept moist ; and as the varieties are 

 all double, and in a highly artificial state, the soil requires to be made very 

 rich with leaf mould, or the mould of hotbed dung. The common season for 

 planting the Ranunculus is November; the roots may be placed about six 

 inches apart every way, covered with two inches of soil, and protected by 

 straw, mats, or rotten tan, dm-ing severe frosts. The plants will come into 

 flower in July, and when the leaves wither, the roots may be taken up, dried 

 in the shade, and preserved in a dry place till they are wanted for replanting. 

 A great many named kinds may be procured in the seed-shops, the most dis- 

 tinct of which are the Turban, or very dark red, the orange, the white, and 

 the fine or cut-leaved. As the plant seeds freely, even when semi-double, new 

 sorts without end may be raised from seed, which may be sown in pots or flat 

 pans as soon as it is gathered, and placed in a cold frame. Those persons 

 who wish to grow the Ranunculus as a prize flower, should consult Hogg's 

 Treatise on the Ranunculus, or some other work exclusively devoted to florists' 



