Treatment oj' Cape Iriddcea:. 257 



expense than you might be willing to incur, liberal as you are in 

 your graphic illustrations. 

 Cheshire, Janiiari/, 1838. 



Art. IX. On the Treatment of Cape Iridacece. By W. 



The plants belonging to the natural order /ridacese, from the 

 Cape, have for many years possessed great attractions for me ; 

 from a period when they were scarcely to be procured, except 

 through some accidental circumstances, and before they engaged 

 as much general attention as they have now obtained. The 

 mode I pursued in cultivating them was, accordingly, the result 

 of my own experience; for though in the West of England I 

 have seen beds of Sparaxis grandifl5ra and S. tricolor in great 

 perfection in the open ground, still I always found the best suc- 

 cess attend the following system ; and I am inclined to think the 

 delicate beauty of the flowers of this order is shown to greater 

 advantage, when, from being grown in pots, these plants can be 

 removed to the green-house. 



In the month of October the bulbs were examined, and the 

 larger ones, separated from the offsets, were potted in a compost 

 of fresh light turfy loam and sand, with good drainage ; and I 

 have found, with regard to the stronger-growing Gladioli, a layer 

 of rotten cow manure over the drainage conduce much to the 

 vigour of their growth. At the same time I had a good bed 

 prepared of dry old tan mixed with some fresh hot litter from 

 the stable, at least 2 ft. in thickness above the level of the gar- 

 den, and on the top a large frame placed. Within this the pots 

 were plunged in old tan ; the stronger-growing Gladioli at the 

 back ; ixias, sparaxises, babianas, tritonias, &c., arranged in 

 gradation to the low-growing species of O'xalis arid Lachenalm 

 in front. The lights were put on at night, giving abundance of 

 air in fine weather, and withholding water until the bulbs had 

 made roots and the leaves appeared, at which time it was care- 

 fully given, to avoid exhausting the bulbs by drought, when 

 there was no danger of frost. On the occurrence of severe 

 weather, I had the frame well banked round with old tan, 

 assisted by hot dung, and the lights well protected by external 

 coverings. 



Under this management the sorts of Sparaxis began to show 

 bloom about the end of April, and, being removed to the green- 

 house, opened their flowers to the sun with great brilliancy. 

 The ixias and babianas succeeded them, and were also removed 

 to the front of the house. The Gladioli usually outgrew the 

 height of the frame, and threw up their flower stalks vigorously 

 on the stage of the green-house. Lastly, the varieties of Tritonia 



