TUBEROUS - BOOTED PLANTS. 



303 



the species being fleshy and tuberous, somewhat 

 resembling the tubers of the Potato. It is a 

 numerous genus, and there is scarcely a species that 

 is not showy ; but only a few are in cultivation, and 

 these, unfortunately, are peculiarly constituted as 

 regards their hardiness. They are natives of the 

 western part of South America, particularly in the 

 Andes of Peru and Chili, consequently they require 

 a somewhat warmer climate than ours. This diffi- 

 culty would be overcome if the plants were amenable 

 to pot- culture, which they are not, on account of the 

 widely-spreading roots, which abhor being cramped 

 for space. Consequently 

 we can only grow the few 

 species that are either 

 hardy enough to be grown 

 in the ordinary border, or 

 those that flourish if 

 planted in a light soil at 

 the foot of a south wall. 

 Happily one of the finest is 

 perfectly hardy in light 

 soils, and is no trouble to 

 cultivate. This is A. au- 

 rantiaca, a plant inhabit- 

 ing the island of Chiloe, 

 whence it was introduced 

 to this country many 

 years ago. It is, indeed, 

 a beautiful plant, and to- 

 tally different from all 

 other hardy herbaceous 

 perennials. Its average 

 height, when full-grown, 

 is about three feet, the 

 erect, slender stems being 

 clothed with glaucous 



foliage. It flowers from June to August, almost 

 continuously, in large, broad clusters on the top of 

 the stems. The flowers vary from a clear yellow 

 to a warm orange-red, and invariably are marked by 

 transverse bars of dark brown on the petals. There 

 is a variety bearing larger flowers than those of the 

 ordinary kind, and this is the one to select when 

 obtainable. Though this plant is perfectly hardy in 

 light soils about London, it is not so in stiff soils in 

 the Midland and Northern counties, except the roots 

 are protected in winter by a covering of dead leaves 

 or ashes. It thrives best in a deep sandy loam in a 

 warm spot, the sunnier the better ; a mulching of 

 manure now and then greatly assists the plants. In 

 planting it the roots must be planted quite a foot 

 beneath the surface if the soil is light, and care must 

 be taken that they are not broken in the operation. 

 In heavy soils a few inches in depth will suffice, as 

 extra covering in winter would protect the roots. 



Various Achimenes. 



It is best to transplant in autumn or in early spring 

 before growth commences. Like many other peren- 

 nial plants, this Alstroemeria is most satisfactory 

 when allowed to remain undisturbed, provided the 

 conditions under which it is growing are favourable 

 to it. It may be increased readily by the offshoots, 

 which it produces plentifully around the main roots. 

 These should be dug up in autumn or early spring, 

 and re-planted immediately. Seedlings may also be 

 raised, as seeds are produced and ripened in most 

 seasons. These should be gathered as soon as 

 thoroughly ripe, and sown in pots three or four 

 together, and placed in a 

 frame. Flowering plants 

 may be raised from seed 

 in about a couple of years. 

 A few masses of this 

 Alstroemeria in a garden 

 are great ornaments when 

 in bloom, the margins of 

 shrubberies, mixed bor- 

 ders, or isolated groups 

 on lawns being their spe- 

 cial places. This species 

 is also named in catalogues 

 A. aurea, and sometimes 

 this name stands for a va- 

 riety of A. aurantiaca with 

 flowers of a clear yellow. 



Other Alstrosmerias to 

 be found in gardens, and 

 which are worthy of culti- 

 vation, include the follow- 

 ing : A. Pelegrina, a dwarf 

 plant, bearing large pink 

 flowers, spotted and bar- 

 red; in the variety albe- 

 scens the flowers are greenish-white. The latter 

 is a very handsome plant. A. Ligtu is inferior in 

 beauty to the last-named species, and other species 

 of a similar character are A. hcemantha and A. pul- 

 chella, and A. versicolor. These have long been in 

 cultivation,, and having been continually propagated 

 by seed, they have become so intercrossed that 

 instead of the original species we have a race of 

 hybrid sorts, which the Dutch bulb-growers collec- 

 tively term A. Chilensis, by which name these hybrid 

 Alstrcemerias are generally known in the trade. This 

 race of hybrids are all beautiful, and remarkable for 

 the richness and diversity of their colours, which 

 range from reds to pinks, whites to orange and 

 yellow. As a rule they are too delicate for growing 

 in the open borders in the usual way. They require 

 a warm light soil, and a snug sheltered corner, such 

 as may be found outside hot-houses and other garden 

 buildings. In such positions they thrive well, and 



