FOREWORDS. 



AMONG the great wealth of vegetation at the command of 

 man for decorating his garden and greenhouse few plants 

 possess greater attractiveness, charm, or beauty than 

 those that belong to the bulbous and tuberous-rooted sec- 

 tion of the vegetable kingdom. Many of them have 

 graced our gardens for centuries, been idolised and almost 

 worshipped by our forbears, and in more recent times 

 held in the highest esteem by flower lovers of every de- 

 gree and in every station of life. Owners of princely 

 demesnes have of late years adopted the commendable 

 and artistic fashion of growing hardy kinds by the 

 thousand in meads and woodlands ; those of suburban 

 and town gardens have also taken a supreme delight in 

 cultivating them in beds, borders, and greenhouses; and 

 others, again, who lacked the luxury of a garden, have 

 shown an interest in these beautiful flowers by growing 

 them on the window-sill, the balcony, roof garden, and in 

 the home. Still more interesting is the fact of children 

 being encouraged to cultivate bulbs in pots, glasses, and 

 bowls as a means of inculcating a love of nature, finding 

 them a pleasant occupation for leisure moments, and de- 

 veloping the natural instincts of love, work, and delight 

 within the minds of the young. A praiseworthy example 



