40 STOVE PLANTS. 



have gone out of fashion, and have been far too much 

 neglected in this country of late years, but their value is 

 now again beginning to be appreciated. Why they should 

 ever have fallen into such neglect it is difficult to under- 

 stand, for they are most accommodating in their nature, 

 being suitable plants for growing either in the stove, green- 

 house, or fernery ; and as they are dried off and at rest 

 part of the year, they require very little space, for during 

 the resting period they may be stowed away in any dry 

 cool place. In addition to this, when in bloom they are 

 remarkably showy, the flowers being large, and richly and 

 gorgeously coloured. 



The most suitable soil for the cultivation of these fine 

 showy bulbs is a mixture of good fibrous loam, with about 

 one-fourth leaf mould, and some well-decomposed manure, 

 and a little silver or river sand added. After blooming the 

 plants should be potted, and they then require the heat of 

 an intermediate house to encourage a good leaf growth, 

 and mature their bulbs. When this is done, they may be 

 placed away under the stage, or stowed upon shelves in 

 any dry cool place, to be brought out and placed in a 

 little heat to develop their flowers as occasions may require. 

 With a moderate collection of these bulbs, a succession of 

 beautiful flowers, which will add greatly to the efiect of a 

 collection of plants, may be had through the winter and 

 spring months. We have some gorgeous flowers open 

 nearly every week in the year. Most of those here de* 

 scribed are garden hybrids and varieties which are great 

 improvements upon many of the original species. They 

 may be increased by offshoots and by seeds. 



A. Ackermannii pvlcJicrrima. — A superb flower, with rich 

 deep crimson throat, streaked very handsomely with green. 

 This is one of the finest of the dark species. 



