92 CULTIVATION. 



and yellow, with purple in the eye, &c. : others 

 again have their petals stri])ed, or marked down 

 the centre with a paler or deeper colour, which 

 has a pleasing effect. 



It sometimes happens, and with some sorts 

 more than others, that two stems are produced 

 from the same root : one is generally consider- 

 ably taller and stronger than the other. " When 

 this is the case, the weaker may be cut off near 

 the ground, soon after it makes its appearance, 

 or suifered to bloom, and its bells be intermixed 

 with the lower ones of the taller stem, so dex- 

 terously as to appear like one regular pyramid 

 of bells." 



This last-mentioned circumstance is a sign of 

 the superior vigour of the plant : in fact, it is 

 nothing less than the flower of the next as well 

 as that of this year coming together; so that the 

 third of the series will succeed to the place of the 

 second. This exuberance of growth is very 

 frequently seen in cottage-gardens, where the 

 bulbs have been but recently introduced, in the 



