EREMUEUS 



THE BULB BOOK 



EEEMURUS 



and most stately plants for the choice 

 herbaceous border. They are mostly 

 natives of Central and S. Asia, being 

 found in the Himalayas, Persia, 

 Turkestan, and parts of Siberia. It 

 is questionable whether they are 

 perfectly hardy in the bleaker parts 

 of the United Kingdom. In such 

 localities it would be wise in severe 

 winters to give them some protection 

 with a little straw, leaves, or litter, 

 to keep their roots free from cold, 

 wet, drenching rains. 



They flourish in warm, sunny situa- 

 tions facing south, and make splendid 

 masses in deep rich sandy loam, well- 

 drained and manured. The son should 

 be trenched to a depth of two or 

 three feet, and if inclined to be heavy, 

 some mortar rubble and grit should 

 be mixed with it. About September 

 or early in October is the best 

 time for planting. Great care should 

 be exercised in filling the soil in 

 among the roots, as these are very 

 brittle and easily injured. The plants 

 should have ample space to develop 

 fully, and once planted are best left 

 alone for a few years without being 

 disturbed. The soil should receive 

 annual dressings or mulchings of well- 

 decayed cow or stable manure, and 

 during active growth, especially in 

 hot summers, copious waterings will be 

 beneficial. In the early spring the 

 plants shoot up often through the 

 frosty soU, and the young and tender 

 tips are then apt to become injured. 

 A little sprinkliug of clean straw, or 

 better still a hand-light placed over 

 the crowns at night, will give the 

 necessary protection. As slugs devour 

 the young growths, they should be 

 kept in check by strewing slaked 

 lime or soot around the plants 

 frequently. 



In hot summers Eremuri ripen seeds 

 freely. The seeds should be sown in 

 pots or pans under glass as soon as 



thoroughly ripe. The young seedlings 

 should be pricked out into nice fine 

 sandy loam and leaf -mould, and for 

 the first year or two until they have 

 attained a good size, they are best 

 grown in cold frames during the 

 winter months ; after this they may 

 be planted in the open border. The 

 plants may also be increased by care- 

 fully dividing the root-stocks, but as 

 some kinds do not flower for two or 

 three seasons after planting, it is not 

 wise to disturb the plants too often. 



The following kinds are grown : — 



E. Altchlsonl. — A fine species from 

 the hiUs of Afghanistan, where it 

 flourishes at an altitude of about 

 12,000 ft. It has rosettes of broad 

 leaves 2 to 3 ft. long, and produces 

 dense spikes of pale red flowers in 

 June and July, on stout stems 3 to 5 

 ft. high. 



B. aurantiacus. — This fine species 

 is closely related to JE. Bvngei, and 

 also comes from Afghanistan, where 

 it is found growing in rough, stony 

 soil at an elevation of 7000 to 9000 

 ft. It has narrow linear leaves about 

 1 ft. long and J in. broad. The bright 

 orange-yellow blossoms with reflexed 

 segments are borne in April and May 

 on stalks 2 to 3 ft. high. {Gartenfl. 

 t. 1168, fig. 6 ; Bot. Mag. t. 7113.) 



B. bucharicus. — This species from 

 Bokhara is not yet well known. It 

 has triangular grey - green leaves, 

 the margins of which are furnished 

 with downward-pointing teeth. The 

 flower-stem is about 3 ft. high, and 

 bears a long and rather loose 

 raceme of white flowers, each about 

 an inch across, the segments having 

 a brownish-red line down the centre, 

 {Gartenfl. t. 1315, fig. 1.) 



B. Bungei. — A beautiful Persian 

 species with smooth grey -green leaves 

 about 1 ft. long and ^ in. broad, 

 slightly ciliated on the edges. The 

 stoutish flower-stems appear in June 

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