Bulbs. 77 



each leaf, and bearing in June a handsome spike 

 of white, bell-shaped flowers. A very useful plant 

 for covering banks or mounds of sand. 



Y. aloifolia. A smaller-leaved variety, often grow- 

 ing into a tree-like form, bearing a drooping cluster 

 of white flowers. 



Other succulents, such as Cotyledrons, Crassula, 

 Sanseviera, Opuntia, Ripsalis, Melocactus, Echeveria, 

 Matnmillaria, and Echinocactus are grown, while some 

 of the ornamental Sedums, which are suitable for this 

 country, would prove useful for carpet-bedding purposes. 



BULBS. 



Bulbous and tuberous plants occur in large num- 

 bers in Egyptian gardens, species such as Narcissi, 

 Gladioli, Iris, Muscaria (The Grape Hyacinth^ 

 A Ilium, S cilia, and many others form part of the 

 native flora, arid in the neighbourhood of Mariout 

 immense quantities of these may be seen flowering 

 in the spring. 



Taking them in their order of merit, the Lilies 

 ought to be mentioned first. 



Lilium longifolium and L. candidum are, perhaps, 

 the two best varieties for this country. They should 

 be planted in November, in rich sandy soil, and will 

 flower in the following April. The bulbs should 

 never be transplanted, but allowed to remain perma- 

 nently in their places, giving the beds an annual 

 dressing of well decomposed manure in the autumn ; 

 as the longer they remain without being shifted the 

 finer the plants will become. 



L. auratum. This species makes a bold, handsome 

 plant in England, and one grown in peat soil in the 

 open ground at the Royal Gardens, Kew, produced 120 

 flowers on a single stem. In Egypt, they should be 

 grown in a half-shady position, but can scarcely be 

 depended upon to produce fine flowers, and large 

 matured bulbs only should be planted. Other species, 

 as L. Harrisii, L. speciosum, L. land folium, L. 

 tigrinum, &c., are also grown with varied success. 



