82 



THE FLORISTS' MANUAL. 



where, and I believe there is a great 

 opportunity for their cultivation, for 

 as long as designs of flowers are used 

 (and they will always be to some ex- 

 tent) there is no flower more beautiful 

 for the purpose than the eucharis. 

 There is scarcely a plant grown of 



needed at all times; 60 to 65 degrees Is 

 the lowest they should be at any time. 

 Disturbing of the bulbs and roots must 

 be avoided or you will not get flowers. 

 If established in a pot, from 8 to 12- 

 inch, or on a bench in 6 inches of 

 good soil, feed them when maKing 



which you hear so often the same re- 

 mark made, and it is this: "Yes, a 

 grand plant. I wish I knew how to 

 make it flower." Or, "I don't have any 

 luck with it. It grows, but don't 

 flower." 



There are several species, all want- 

 ing the same treatment. E. grandi- 

 flora, so generally called amazonica, is 

 the fine species we all know, bearing 

 an umbel of four to six flowers four 

 to five inches across on stout, erect 

 stems eighteen inches to two feet high. 

 E. Sanderiana is somewhat smaller 

 and the throat or tube of the flower is 

 yellow. E. Candida is also pure white, 

 bearing seven to ten flowers on one 

 stalk, but not as large a flower as 

 amazonica. I would advise the begin- 

 ner to try the cultivation of the latter, 

 as it is the handsomest of all. 



Good authorities say the eucharis 

 should have an abundance of water at 

 all times. South American travelers 

 and collectors have also told me that 

 they have walked over arid plains in 

 the dry season with scarcely a sign of 

 vegetation and returned in six months 

 over the same ground and found it 

 covered with the leaves and flowers of 

 eucharis, a gorgeous sight. This does 

 not agree, and we have seen the bulbs 

 dried off considerably, and when pot- 

 ted up send up flower stalks. But 

 drying off as you would a hyacinth or 

 tulip is certainly not advisable or any- 

 thing approaching it. 



The bulbs multiply readily by send- 

 ing out offshoots, and when once you 

 have a few healthy plants your stock 

 is easily increased. As the plant is 

 from New Granada, a warm house is 



cow manure. As the soil is to remain 

 undisturbed for several years, add a 

 tenth of broken up charcoal to the 

 compost; it will help to keep the soil 

 porous. If you receive the bulbs dor- 

 mant, plant tnree in an 8-inch pot or 

 five in a 10-inch, the top of bulb two 

 inches below the surface. If on a 

 bench, plant six inches apart in tne 

 row and the rows eight inches apart. 



The principal object to observe is 

 this: Supposing an established plant 

 has been growing freely for two 

 months and making a fine lot of 

 leaves. If you continue giving it water 

 free'y it will continue to make its 

 handsome leaves and no flowers, but 

 if you shorten up the supply of water 

 and keep the plants rather dry (not by 

 any means dry enough to show any 

 effects on the leaf), then flower leads 

 will be formed in the bulb instead of 

 leaves, and after a rest of two months 

 apply again an abundance of water 

 and up will come the flower stalks. 

 After flowering give them only a very 

 short rest and top dress and start 

 again for another two or three 

 months' growth. Remember that in 

 cultivation, whatever their native con- 

 ditions may be, a rest is only a lessen- 

 ing of the water, not a drying off, and 

 their foliage should not suffer at any 

 time. 



We have all heard English garden- 

 ers say that they could produce three 



A Florist's Display at Easter. 



their growtn of leaves, but don't dis- 

 turb the roots for four or five years. 

 At most times of the year they un- 

 doubtedly want lots of water, so drain- 

 age in the pot, and opportunity on the 

 bench for water to pass freely away, is 

 of great importance. 



The soil should be a good rough 

 loam with one-fifth of well decayed 



crops of flowers in twelve months. 

 Possibly so. Two crops will do very 

 well. I will just add that two years 

 ago I saw exhibited at Toronto's great 

 fair in September a plant of-^E. ama- 

 zonica in an 8-inch pot that had nine 

 flower stalks bearing a total of thirty- 

 three flowers and buds, so it can be, 

 done. 



