216 THE TUBEROSE. 



warm. The ordinary culture keeps the tops warm, and is 

 successful in producing a great amount of foliage. 



The tuberose of the garden is a native of the East Indies, 

 and was introduced about 1630. Our dried roots are an- 

 nually imported from Italy, where they are grown in great 

 quantities for exportation. The day is probably not far 

 distant when we shall be able to grow tuberoses in this 

 country : the experiment has been successfully tried in New 

 Jersey, and bulbs quite as good as any imported have been 

 produced, some of which are now flowering finely in our 

 garden, with as stout spikes and as large flowers as the 

 imported bulbs beside them. 



The bulbs for blooming should be carefully selected ; 

 those being chosen which are full and plump, and with a 

 sound heart. Pot them in eight-inch pots, singly, in a com- 

 post of well-rotted manure or the remnants of an old hot- 

 bed, sandy peat and loam or leaf-mould, with a little char- 

 coal dust ; leaving only the crown of the bulb above the soil. 

 Before filling in the compost, place a crock over the hole on 

 the bottom of the pot, and crumble it quarter full of old 

 cow-droppings which have been exposed to the winter in 

 the pasture. 



All offsets should be removed previous to planting. 



