112 BULBS AND THEIR CULTIVATION, 



It succeeds in a compost of equal parts peat, leaf- 

 mould, and sand; requires to be potted in August, stored 

 in a cold frame till growth begins, then transferred to the 

 cool house. Bequires similar treatment to other bulbs 

 as regards watering, ripening, etc. Increased by offsets. 



Lachenalia. A genus of South African bulbous- 

 rooted plants, with mottled or green foliage and attrac- 

 tively-coloured tubular flowers. The flowering period 

 extends from January to June, and the bulbs are easily 

 grown in pots or hanging baskets in a cool greenhouse. 



The principal species and varieties are: Camii, orange, 

 yellow, and green, a hybrid; Nelsoni, golden yellow, 

 hybrid ; lilacina, lilac ; orchioides, white or yellow ; pendula, 

 purple, red, and yellow; pendula aureliana (syn. L. gigan- 

 tea), red; tricolor, red or green; tricolor aurea, yellow; 

 and tricolor quadricolor, red, green, and yellow. 



All the foregoing kinds are easily grown. The bulbs 

 should be potted in August, placing half a dozen bulbs half 

 an inch deep in a 5in. pot. The compost should consist 

 of two parts loam, and equal parts of leaf -mould, well- 

 decayed manure, and sand. After potting, give no water, 

 but place in a cold frame, and cover with cocoanut-fibre 

 until the end of October, when remove to a shelf in a 

 heated greenhouse. As soon as growth begins, give 

 water. Keep close to the glass, and take care not to over- 

 water the soil. As soon as the bulbs show flower, apply 

 weak liquid manure occasionally, discontinuing it when 

 the flowers open. After flowering, gradually withhold 

 water, so as to render the soil dry and cause the leaves 

 to turn yellow and die. Keep quite dry from then until 

 repotting time August. These pretty Cape bulbs may 

 also be grown in wire baskets suspended from the roof of 

 the greenhouse or conservatory. Line the inside of the 

 basket with moss, then add a layer of compost. Press the 

 bulbs into the soil an inch or so apart; fill up with soil, 

 then plant bulbs in the top portion. Hang the baskets in 



