60 



CULTURE or THE TUBEROSE, 



tiie bed. 



Fianting. 



sanJy earth, mixed with a third part of very rotten cow 

 dung: the earth should be taken about seven or eight inches 

 deep, along with the green turf, chopping it very small with 

 the spade, and turning it once a month for a year before it 

 is used ; if the eartli is not very light, add a quantity of sea 

 sand, or fine shelly gravel. If you are obliged to use this 

 compost sooner, pass it through a wide screen, casting oijt 

 nothing but any large stones. 

 ?reparation of About the middle of April prepare the led as follows : 

 first, take out all the old earth, to the depth of two feet and 

 a hijlf, or three feet, filling it nearly to ihe top with fresh 

 stable dung, that has been cast into a heap to heat a fort- 

 night before: lay the dung evenly in the trench, treading 

 each layer very firmly down with a board, under your feet, 

 and reserving the smallest and shortest for the last: upon this 

 lay eighteen inches in depth of the compost, sloping it well 

 towards the south, not only for the benefit of the sun, but 

 to throw off violent rains. 



in a day or two after, plant your roots at five inches dis- 

 tance from pach other, observing to place them alternately 

 in the rows, and that the crown or upper part of the tuber 

 is only just covered with earth. These should be the offsets 

 pf such as after flowering the preceding year have been pre- 

 served from frost through the winter in sand, as well as the 

 Strongest remaining upon any fresh imported ones. Till you 

 obtain a sufficient stock, even the weakest may be planted, 

 but as a great number are annually produced by every root, 

 in time those which are large enough to flower the following 

 year need only be selected. Cover the bed at pight, espe- 

 cially if frosty, with a double mat, till the leaves appear, 

 but give little or no water, protecting it carefully from heavy 

 raiiis. "VVhen the leaves are about an inch long, add a little 

 fresh compost to the surface, filling up any inequalities, and 

 removing all weeds. If the season prove dry, it will i>ow 

 require watering, and towards the end of June and in July, 

 when the leaves* are in full vigour, very copiously; but this 

 must depend upon the weather. From this period till the 

 beginning of winter, nothing more is necessary than to weed 

 the bed, and protect it from the autumnal rains : this may 



I 



Management 

 after planted. 



