824 



PRACTICAL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS ebemueus 



used as a substitute for soap in Cali- 

 fornia. The plants grow in ordinary 

 garden soil and may be used in the 

 flower border. They are increased by 

 offsets from the bulbs in autumn. 



EREMURUS.— A genus of noble 

 and ornamental herbaceous plants having 

 short rhizomes and clusters of slender or 

 fleshy roots. The long linear leaves are 

 all radical, and the white, reddish, or 

 yellow bell-shaped or rotate flowers are 

 borne on tall, sometimes very high, sim- 

 ple leafless scapes, each one being solitary 

 in the axils of the often scarious bracts. 

 The segments are free, or very slightly 

 united at the base, 1-5-nerved. Stamens 

 6, hypogynous, often longer than the seg- 

 ments. Capsule membranous, with 1-4 

 seeds in each of the 3 cells. 



There are now about 30 species of 

 Bremurus known, but only a few of them 

 have been tried in a cultivated state yet, 

 and that within the last 20 years or so. 

 They are among the finest and most 

 stately plants for the choice herbaceous 

 border, and once seen in full bloom they 

 are not likely to be forgotten. They are 

 mostly natives of Central and S. Asia, 

 being found in the Himalayas, Persia, 

 Turkestan, and parts of Siberia, and it is 

 questionable whether they are perfectly 

 hardy in all parts of the United Kingdom. 

 The probability is that they are not, except 

 in the southern parts of England and Ire- 

 land. In other parts of the country, 

 therefore, it would be wise in severe 

 winters to give them some protection with 

 a little straw, leaves, or litter, and keep 

 their roots free from cold wet drenching 

 rains. 



Culture and Propagation. — They 

 flourish in warm sunny situations facing 

 south and make splendid masses in deep 

 rich sandy loam, well-drained and man- 

 ured. About September or early in Octo- 

 ber is the best time for planting. The 

 roots being very brittle, great care should 

 be exercised in filling the soil in among 

 them so as to cause as little injury as 

 possible. The plants should not be 

 crowded with other vegetation, but should 

 have ample space to develop to their full 

 vigour, and once planted are best left 

 alone for a few years without being dis- 

 turbed. The soil may receive annual 

 dressings or mulchings of well-decayed 

 cow or stable manure, and during the 

 period of active growth, and the hot 



summer months, copious waterings will 

 be beneficial. In the early spring the 

 plants shoot up often through the fi-osty 

 soil, and the young and tender tips are 

 then apt to become injured. A little 

 sprinkling of clean straw, or better still a 

 handlight placed over the crowns at night, 

 will give the necessary protection. Slugs 

 are very partial to the young growths and 

 require watching. 



These plants ripen seeds well in hot 

 favourable summers, and by this means 

 may be increased. The seeds should be 

 sown in pots or pans under glass as soon 

 as thoroughly ripe, and the young seed- 

 lings pricked out into similar receptacles 

 containing nice fine sandy loam and leaf 

 mould. For the first year or two until 

 the seedlings have attained a good size, 

 they are best grown in cold fi-ames during 

 the winter months. After this they may 

 be planted in the open border in the situa- 

 tions and soil above recommended. If 

 carefully performed, there is no reason 

 why the plants should not be increased by 

 dividing the rootstocks, but as some kinds 

 do not flower for two or three seasons after 

 planting, it is of coiu'se not wise to disturb 

 them too often if they are to flower at aU 

 well. 



The following are the handsomest 

 kinds grown : — 



E. Aitchisoni. — A fine species, native 

 of the hiUs of Afghanistan, where it 

 flourishes at an altitude of about 12,000 ft. 

 It has rosettes of broad leaves 2-3 ft. 

 long, and produces dense spikes of pale 

 red flowers in June and July on the top 

 of stout stems 3-5 ft. high. 



Culture <£c. as above. 



E. aurantiacus. — This fine species 

 also comes from Afghanistan, where it is 

 found growing in rough, stony soil at an 

 elevation of 7000-9000 ft. It has narrow- 

 linear leaves about 1 ft. long and i in. 

 broad, and produces its fiower-spikes in 

 April and May, 2-8 ft. high, the upper 

 portion being densely covered with bright 

 orange-yellow blossoms, the segments of 

 which are turned back, thus showing to 

 greater advantage the longer stamens. 



Culture do. as above. In cultivation 

 it flowers well in either sandy peat or 

 loam, and ripens seeds in favourable 

 seasons. 



E. bucharicus.— A little-known species 

 from Bokhara with 3-sided glaucous leaves 

 having retrorsely serrulate edges. The 



