ALLIUM 



LILY OBDEB 



GALTONIA 831 



frames or hotbeds in February and March, 

 and the seedlings will be fit for transplant- 

 ing either in the autumn or the following 

 spring. A mulching of well- rotted manure 

 and plenty of water in hot seasons will be 

 of great benefit to the plants, and induce 

 them to produce large heads of fine flowers, 

 which are beautiful in a cut state, although 

 the scapes often emit the inevitable Onion 

 flavour or scent. 



A. acuminatum. — • A native of N.W. 

 America, with very narrow leaves and 

 deep rose flowers ^-1 in. across, in July 

 and August, on scapes 6-12 in. high. 

 The variety murrayanum has deeper 

 rosy-purple flowers. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



A. caeruleum {A. azureuin). — A hand- 

 some Siberian species with 3-sided leaves 

 6-12 in. long, and dense round trusses of 

 beautiful sky-blue flowers in summer, on 

 scapes 1-2 ft. high. Each segment has a 

 deeper dark central line. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



A. flavum. — A native of S. Europe, 

 with roimded leaves flattened at the base, 

 and yellow bell-shaped somewhat droop- 

 ing flowers on scapes about 1 ft. high. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



A. macnabianum. — A distinct and 

 handsome N. West American species, 

 with channelled leaves about 1 ft. long, 

 and deep magenta flowers. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



A. Moly. — A beautiful old garden 

 favourite, native of S. Europe, with 

 broadly lance-shaped leaves, and masses 

 of fine bright yellow star-shaped flowers 

 produced in Jmie and July, in compact 

 umbels on scapes 12-18 in. high. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



A. narcissiflorum {A. pedemontanum). 

 A fine Italian species, with lance-shaped 

 leaves and graceful drooping clusters of 

 large bell-shaped rosy-purple flowers, 

 borne on shortish scapes in July. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



A. neapolitanum. — This is a very 

 popular species from S. Europe. Its 

 strap-shaped leaves about 1 in. wide 

 clasp the flower stems, which are 12-18 

 in. high, and bear loose umbels of white 

 flowers with green stamens in early 

 summer. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



A. nigrum (A. magiciim). — A free- 

 flowering vigorous species native of S. 

 Europe, having thick broadly lance - 

 shaped leaves, toothed on the margins, 

 and at first erect and somewhat glaucous, 

 but afterwards green and spreading. 

 The large umbels of violet or whitish 

 flowers veined with green are borne in 

 summer on scapes 2-3 ft. high. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



A. Schuberti. — An extraordinary spe- 

 cies of recent introduction. It has pale- 

 lilac starry flowers in June and July, 

 having red stamens with white anthers, 

 radiating from the top of the scape 1^-2 

 ft. high, and remarkable for having the 

 opened flowers on pedicels about half the 

 length, 2-3 in., of those bearing the un- 

 opened ones. It is hardy in warm spots 

 but may require a little covering in 

 severe winters. 



Other species of note are subhirsutum 

 with pure white flowers, and ruby-red 

 anthers ; and ostrowshyanum, lilac-pur- 

 ple, with a deeper colour line down the 

 centre of the segments. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



GALTONIA (Cape Hyacinth). — A 

 genus containing 2 species of beautiful 

 South African flowering plants with 

 tunicated bulbs, long and rather broad 

 radical leaves, and drooping bell-shaped 

 flowers in racemes on tall, simple, leafless 

 scapes. Stamens 6, attached to the 

 throat or perianth tube. 



Culture and Propagation. — Galtouias 

 are very effective when planted in masses 

 in the flower border where they will not 

 be too crowded by other plants. They 

 flourish in almost any weU-drained gar- 

 den soil, but are more luxuriant in deep 

 rich sandy loam and leaf soil. The bulbs 

 need not be disturbed for 3 or 4 years, but 

 the soil is then best with a good top- 

 dressing of manure every autumn or 

 winter to serve as a food replenisher, and 

 protector from heavy rains and severe 

 frosts. 



The plants are easily increased by 

 detaching the offsets from the bulbs in 

 September or October and replanting. 

 Seeds may also be sown under glass 

 in early spring, and the seedUngs grown 

 on with this protection for the first year. 

 The following season the young plants 

 may be transferred to the flower border 

 and will produce flowers in about 2 or 3 

 years from the time of sowing the seeds. 



