142 BULBS AND THEIR CULTIVATION. 



South Europe. May be grown in pots in a cold house. 

 Both are pretty and very interesting bulbous plants. 



These should be planted singly in 5in. or 6in. pots, in 

 October, in a compost of two parts loam, one part of de- 

 cayed manure, and one part of coarse silver sand. Plunge 

 the pots to their rims in fibre refuse in a cold frame until 

 growth commences ; then transfer to the cold house. From 

 thence, and until the foliage fades, give plenty of water, 

 and keep dry during the winter. Repot every third year. 

 Liquid manure may be given during the second and third 

 years. Increased by offsets. 



Puschkinia. P. scilloides is a pretty little bulbous- 

 rooted plant, bearing squill-like, striped white and blue 

 flowers in April, and growing about six inches high. A 

 native of the Orient. Compacta is a dwarf variety of it. 



It requires to be grown in pans, and in every other re- 

 spect similarly to the Chionodoxas, which see. 



Rigidella. Two species flaminea, orange-purple; 

 and immaculata, scarlet and yellow, both May-flowering 

 only are worthy of culture. Natives of Mexico and 

 South America. 



Grow in equal parts of loam, peat, and sand, and treat 

 as advised for Ixias. 



Scilla. The Squills are excellent bulbous-rooted plants 

 for pot or pan culture in cold greenhouses. S. sibirica, 

 blue (February), Gin. ; sibirica alba, white; and bifolia, 

 blue (March), Gin. ; and its varieties alba, pnecox, and 

 rosea, are particularly pretty kinds to grow thus. 



They require precisely the same treatment as Crocuses 

 and Snowdrops, which see. 



Sparaxls. S. grandiflora bears white, violet, and 

 crimson flowers in May, on graceful spikes one to two feet 

 high ; and tricolor, a very beautiful species, bears orange, 



