418 THE PLEASURE, OR [June. 



tulips, &c. ; and it will be well to plant them either in or before the 

 last week of July or the first in August. By planting them at this 

 time they will blow stronger than if kept too long out of the ground. 

 All these sorts, in their flowering state, are generally unattended 

 with leaves, which spring up after the flowers fade. 



It is not absolutely necessary to take up these bulbs every year, 

 once in two or three years will do; but then it must be done, in 

 order to separate the offsets for increase, and to plant the strong 

 roots in fresh earth, which will cause them to shoot and flower 

 much more luxuriantly. 



Cyclamens. 



There are five different species of Cyclamen described, viz. 

 the Cyclamen Coum, europreum, persicum, hederaefolium, and indi- 

 cum; the first a native of the south of Europe, the second of Aus- 

 tria, the third of Persia, the fourth of Italy, and the fifth of Ceylon; 

 with several varieties arising from these species. They are all too 

 tender to bear the winter frosts of the middle and eastern states, 

 and consequently must be treated as green-house-plants; where they 

 should be kept in the front windows, to have the benefit of as 

 much light and air as possible. The leaves being generally de- 

 cayed about this time, the roots may be taken up and replanted 

 immediately into a composition of one half good loamy earth, one 

 fourth sand, and one fourth light moory earth, or earth of rotten 

 leaves, all being well incorporated together. They do not require 

 to be taken up oftener than every second or third year, and then 

 only to give them fresh earth, as they never increase by offsets, 

 and are only propagated by seed, or by cutting the roots through 

 across the crowns, which iatter method is, generally, very unsuc- 

 cessful. 



The first and second sorts flower in January and February, the 

 third in March and April, and the others in September and October, 

 thev continue a longtime in bloom, and display flowers of a curious 

 structure and delicately beautiful. The pots containing these roots 

 must be kept, during the summer months, where they will not be 

 much exposed to the sun, and in that time should have but little 

 water, as their roots are, generally, then in an inactive state, and 

 would soon rot by too much moisture. 



All the sorts may be propagated by seed, which should be sown 

 soon after being ripe, or early in sprjng, and covered near half an 

 inch deep; they must always be protected from frost and also from 

 the summer sun; the September following, you are to lay over the 

 roots, not covering the leaves, half an inch or better of good loose 

 sandy earth, and during the following winter and ensuing summer 

 protect them as before. Any time in the summer of the second or 

 third year that the leaves are decayed, take up the roots, and replant 

 them in pots of fresh earth, covering them one inch deep; here they 

 remain till they flower, which will generally be in the fourth and 

 fifth years after sowing, but sometimes, when taken good care of, 



