VIU. PREFACE. 



The roses will attain similar perfection if we have a favorable season; 

 but, alas, this happens very rarely. The roses have to contend against 

 two enemies, viz., the rose blight and the hot winds. The first scourge 

 can be mitigated by cleaning, but against the hot winds we have no 

 remedy. No flower is more injuriously affected by hot winds; and the 

 small buds are even destroyed by only moderatly hot winds, appearing as 

 if a fire had run over them. The dark-colored flowers suffer most. 

 The rose season in 1877 of South Australia has never been surpassed. 

 The roses were free of blight, and the atmosphere throughout September 

 and October being cool, with a cloudy sky and occasional showers, 

 produced a profusion of flowers not uncommonly five to six inches in 

 diameter. 



Bulbous and tuberous plants from the Cape thrive with us as vigorously 

 as in their native country, chiefly the Gladiolus, Brunswigias, Haemanthus, 

 Watsonias, Ixias, Babianas, Ornithogalums, Sfc. The same is the case 

 with Hippeastrums, Amaryllis, Crinums, Panoratiums, Alstroemerias, 

 Sfc, from any part of the globe. Not so, however, with the Liliunis. 

 Only Lilium canditum, longiflorum Thunh., and eximium Siehol., thrive 

 well with us out of doors, while all other species, especially those from 

 Japan, will not prosper in the open ground. The same dislike to our 

 climate has also Fritillaria imperialis Linn., which never produces 

 flowers, and the bulb dies within a year or two after its introduction. 

 The tulips and hyacinths also find our climate in the plains unsuitable. 

 The tulip biilbs will produce flowers for a year or two, but they gradually 

 dwindle away after the second year. Hyacinths produce good flowers 

 the first year, but afterwards the bulbs divide into numerous suckers, 

 which produce no flowers until they are separated and planted, 

 requiring two or three years before they again flower, again to divide 

 into numerous offsets. 



Ranunculus and Anemones produce the first year splendid flowers, 

 especially the former; but the Anemone tubers show the same decay 

 as the tulips, and dwindle away often already the second year. The 

 Ranunculus begin to fail the third or fourth year. Narcissus, Tacettas 

 and various other kinds delight in our climate, and attain to great 

 perfection, except the varieties of Narcissus poeticus. 



In the plains it is impossible to grow ferns out of doors — not even the 

 few South Australian species, which are found growing in the hills and 

 gullies, unless planted in very shady, moist, and protected places. 



Regarding the plants grown under glass, the summer months of South 

 Australia are not at all genial to the luxuriant growth of orchids, on 

 account of the dry and hot atmosphere. To grow them on wooden 

 blocks is not practicable at all. Though the orchid-houses be kept close, 



