ON HARDY BULBS AND TUBERS. 33 1 



home, and they may be planted in autumn or early spring. 

 The flowers are yellow, of different shades, many are fragrant, 

 and all are produced in summer. 



All the Day Lilies are valuable for cutting, especially the 

 following : H. flava, fragrant, early flowering \ H. Thunbergi, 

 sweet-scented, late flowering ; H. Dumortieri, dwarf, very free ; 

 H. disticha flore pleno ; and the new H. aurantiaca major 

 (Fig. 208). These plants are excellent for hot, dry, poor soils, 

 although they will thrive almost anywhere. Propagated by 

 division in late autumn, but the clumps are better if not 

 very frequently disturbed. 



Hyacinthus (Hyacinth). — Everyone is acquainted with the 

 Hyacinths — at least with the Dutch kinds, which are those in 

 general cultivation. They are a most popular class of plant, and 

 will blossom in either town or country. Their great drawback, 

 however, is that they deteriorate after the first season, and the 

 only way to get really fine flowers is to plant each season. 

 Beds of Hyacinths make town gardens look gay during the early 

 spring months, and good-sized clumps (the bulbs being arranged 

 6in. to 8in. apart) always look effective in the mixed border. 

 They delight in a well-drained light but fairly rich soil. The 

 bulbs are liable to be nipped with spring frosts, and for 

 this reason some growers cover their quarters with light litter. 

 When planting, due care must be taken with the colour dis- 

 tribution, and when the flower-spikes are fading they should be 

 • removed. This is especially necessary if it is intended to use 

 the bulbs another season. For list of varieties, both double and 

 single, see "Appendix." 



So much for what are popularly spoken of as the Dutch 

 bulbs. There, are, however, one or two species which ought not 

 to be omitted from the bulb garden — H. amethystinus (Spanish 

 Hyacinth) for instance. This is a South European species, 

 introduced as long ago as 1759. The flowers are a bright 

 blue, and are produced in loose spikes in May. This bulb 

 should be given a place in every garden where space can 

 be found. The plant sometimes catalogued as Hyacinthus 

 candicans is now regarded as a Galtonia, under which name it 

 is described. 



Iris. — A large and interesting family, which, botanically, is 

 divided into two broad sections — Bulbous and Rhizomatous. The 

 former embraces the English and Spanish Irises, and the latter 

 the Flag Irises, whose beautiful and varied colours lend such a 

 charm to our summer gardens. Besides the English and Spanish 

 Irises already alluded to, there are quite a large number of 

 species belonging to the Bulbous section which rank amongst 

 the earliest of spring flowers if provided with a warm, sheltered 

 situation, say on a rockery. To this belong the elegant 



