The Canadian Horticulturist. 2r 



servatory. I do not think they will ever become as popular for house cul- 

 ture as the Richardia Mthiopica, or Egyptian " Calla " Lily, but being 

 Just as easy to cultivate, I see no reason why every flower lover should not have 

 one or two in his collection, the culture being the same as for the latter. 



The bulbs are planted in the fall in a seven inch pot, the soil used being 

 a mixture of sand, loam and well rotted manure, in which place the bulb, 

 and after watering freely, place the pot under a table or bench in the con- 

 servatory, not necessarily excluding the light entirely. They will appear not 

 to make any progress for at least five or six weeks, just as in the treatment 

 of hyacinths, tulips, and other winter flowering bulbs. After having remained 

 under the bench for the required time, they may be brought to the light and 

 freely watered until they have finished flowering. Previous to blooming a 

 liberal amount of liquid fertilizer may be applied, which will greatly improve 

 the flower, as well as brighten the white spots on the leaves. 



After flowering allow the plant to grow for at least six or eight weeks 

 longer, when the bulb may be taken out of the pot and exposed to the sun 

 until thoroughly dried, when they will be in proper form for replanting in 

 the fall. If the few details mentioned are closely adhered to, a very inter- 

 esting growth may be had for the amateur's pains, as they are distinct from 

 other plants in that the leaves and flower are both exceedingly pretty. 



CAN PLANTS BE ACCLIMATIZED.? 



By p. E. Bucke, Ottawa' 



THE above question is one which ought to be answered for this locality, 

 as well as for other parts of Canada. If it can be answered in the 

 affirmative, then we could probably grow in this Dominion all the 

 tropical and sub-tropical perennials, trees and shrubs whose fruit and 

 flowers are so attractive to the eye, and so pleasing to the palate. If in 

 the negative, what time, labor and expense would be saved in planting 

 varieties of the vegetable kingdom unsuited to the locality it is desired to 

 grow them in, when a thermometrical test would settle the whole question. 

 A careful examination of the works of scientists, who have done much 

 in experimenting in this subject, and from a little practice of my own, the 

 fact has been disclosed to my entire satisfaction that habitual attempts to 

 grow plants in a greater degree of cold than that in which their life was de- 

 stroyed at the first attempt, however much prolonged, produced no effect on 

 such as are propagated by buds, grafts, layers or cuttings. The hardiness 

 which is found to exist in plants is innate and inherent in themselves, and 

 appears to consist chiefly in the power of the sap-cells to contract and ex- 

 pand readily, under different degrees of temperature. One of the peculiarities 

 of the hardiness of vegetable forms is that many of our frost-resisting plants 

 have come to us from warm climates, where they are found in their wild 



