Directions for Specific Culture. 57 
Gentiana verna (Europe, England). 
Gentiana verna, like the others of its section, 
requires rather special treatment to ensure success. 
A great many people complain of losing their 
Gentians, especially Gentiana verna and Gentiana 
bavarica, after they have seen them flower once. 
The reason of this is very easily explained. When 
the plants are sent from a nursery they are generally 
set with flower-buds, and therefore will probably 
develop under almost any circumstances. After 
the plants have been received they are planted in 
some unfavourable position, indeed often in hope- 
lessly unsuitable situations. The first year they 
flower because they cannot do anything else; but 
they have no chance to root, since place and soil are 
not what they require. After they have done flower- 
ing, the stems are all that are left to be seen, for the 
leaves will all have dried up, and finally the plant 
dies. The position which suits them best is full 
south, but care must be taken in this instance to 
have a moist, sandy, loamy bottom, in a place where 
they can be watered every day during the summer 
months. If this watering cannot be done, then a 
more shady place must be chosen and the bed must 
be made level or concave, so that the water does not 
run off too quickly; but although they like this 
moisture, the bed must be well drained. Use a 
mixture of two parts of rich loam and one of fine 
white sand mixed well together. After about 3in. 
of drainage has been put into the bed, fill in with 
the mixed compost to a depth of qin. to 6in., tread 
firmly down, then add tin. of white sand spread 
