BULBOUS PLANTS 257 



strongest one or two are selected. Tie this shoot to a stake imme- 

 diately and continue to support the plant as it develops. 



Storage. When the Autumn killing frosts arrive, perhaps in 

 October, and the foliage is killed, take up the plants and allow them 

 to dry a little in the sun. Cut off the old stems so that a stub of 

 3 inches is left. Then place them in a cellar where temperature 

 will surely remain above freezing, about 40 to 45 degrees Fahren- 

 heit. They may best be placed with the stems down on shelves and 

 covered with soil or sand. With large tubers it will be unnecessary 

 to cover them; merely place them in a heap on shelf or floor, keeping 

 the stems to outside. Do not let them get dried out; if they shrivel, 

 sprinkle a little water over them. If kept too moist they soon 

 mildew. 



ERANTHIS (Winter Aconite). Among the first plants to 

 open their flowers in the hardy plant border is E. hyemalis. It 

 should have a place to itself, or the space in which it is growing can 

 be covered after the foliage is gone with annuals, of different va- 

 rieties. 



Propagation. It is propagated readily from self-sown seeds 

 and by dividing old clumps in mid-Summer. 



EREMURUS (Tlie King's Spear). This is a very stately 

 subject for the garden. Two species, E. rohuslns and£. himalaicus, 

 and many varieties are grown. The spikes are frequently 6 to 8 feet 

 tall and are covered with white, pink or yellowish flowers, which 

 continue to open for nearly a month. For some reason they are 

 difficult to grow. Certain of the plants rapidly multiply and bloom, 

 while others die out entirely. The bulbs should be planted rather 

 shallow, in a fairly rich but very well drained soil. These plants 

 are native to desert spots of Western and Central Asia. The 

 matter of Winter protection is important, for the plants should be 

 covered with leaves and left till late in the Spring, else the young 

 shoots will be injured by the cold. The roots are fleshy and spread 

 out in several directions. Plant as soon as received in November. 



ERYTHRONIUM (Dog-tooth Violet. Adder's Tongue). 

 These showy Spring flowers are found wild in the Eastern states. 

 There are at least fifteen species, the ones most commonly cultivated 

 being E. americanum, the species found abundantly in the East, 

 E. grandiflorum, E. calijornicum, E. revoliitum and E. Howellii. 

 As Spring flowers for naturalizing they are largely used. Most of the 

 species are offered by European firms. The Western species are 

 cultivated and offered for sale by dealers in California. 



