February 



1896.] 



Garden and Forest. 



65 



certainly does not deserve the utter neglect with which it 

 has been treated. The tree has acquired its common name 

 from the broad, irregular corky wings with which the stiff 

 branchlets are usually furnished. 



Cultural Department. 

 Amaryllis. 



UPON looking over the stock of mature bulbs of Amaryllis 

 at this time I find that many need encouragement as tiie 

 flower-spikes are just showing up. It is sometimes desirable 



until warm weather this early start will give the bulbs a long- 

 season of growth, and the foliage will be sufficiently matured 

 on the arrival of frost in autumn to allow that the pots be put 

 on their sides under the stages, or in some convenient place in 

 the greenhouse of no special value tor other plants. If the 

 pots are stood on an earthen bottom after the leaves have died 

 off it will be found that very little water will be needed during 

 winter, as the pots will absorb enough moisture from the earth 

 to keep the roots from becoming too dry. Amaryllis of the 

 hybrid section, such as are generally grown, are almost truly 

 deciduous ; but a few roots are sure to remain in a living 

 state, and the more there are the better will be the start made 

 from this time on. The effort the plant is required to make in 



Fig. 7. — Rhododen 



mucronu'alum. — See page 64. 



to have them come on in succession, and in this case it is besL 

 not to repot all the bulbs now, but only those that are most 

 advanced, starting the others later as they require. We have 

 found, however, that it is not well to retard Amaryllis-bulbs to 

 any great extent beyond their natural flowering time. Last 

 year the display would have been of little value to us before 

 May, and an attempt was made to keep them for this time, but 

 the spikes received a check, and were not nearly so fine as if 

 encouraged to come on steadily from the time they were 

 potted. Indeed, many did not develop beyond the bud-stage. 

 On the other hand, if started now and kept in moderate warmth 



producing the large flowers is considerable, as may be e; 

 seen by the shrunken condition of the bulbs that were plump 

 and fat before starting to grow, and it takes them all summer 

 to recuperate and lay a foundation for the following year. 



At potting-time it will be found that there are a number of 

 young offsets clustered around the parent bulb. It is prefera- 

 ble to keep to a single bulb in a six or seven inch pot alter the 

 (lowering size and strength has been attained, and thi 1 

 may be planted around the edge of other pots to grow on 

 separately. If space is limited, later on in early summer they 

 may be planted out in the open -round, where they will make 



