BULBS FOR THE GREENHOUSE 49 



especially so by amateurs, for it gives but little 

 trouble and is quaint as well as pretty. A few of the 

 best would be H. sanguineus, H. natalensis, H. Katherinoe , 

 and H. insignis. These are plants that do not often 

 require repotting, as they like to be cramped for root 

 room, or at least they flower best under such conditions. 

 Need of potting will be indicated by a falling off in size 

 of leaf. Pot, when growth is beginning, in a mixture of 

 loam, peat, and sand. For the latter, pounded mortar 

 rubbish may be substituted. After the leaves of a season's 

 growth have been perfected, rest should be induced by 

 withholding water, and the plants may then be stored 

 away in the background of under the stage, where they 

 can be kept dry till the flowers show. Increase with 

 these plants is not rapid, but off-sets may be taken when 

 potting and grown on in small pots for the first year, 

 taking care not to over-water them. 



Hippeastrums. — Most of the Hippeastrums, or Amaryllis 

 as they are more often but erroneously called, are stove 

 or hothouse plants, but among them are a few very 

 beautiful greenhouse species and varieties, for which 

 room should be found in all collections. Perhaps the 

 best are H. aulicum with immense lily-like flowers, H. 

 Johnsonii, H. vittata, H. pardinum, and H. pratense. All 

 are sub-evergreen and should not be entirely dried off, 

 but, as with most other bulbs, there should be a distinct 

 falling off in the amount of water given after the leaves 

 begin to ripen. Pot when necessary, which will be only 

 every third or fourth year, when new growth begins, in 

 a mixture of very sandy loam, a little leaf mould, and a 

 small handful of crushed bones to each pot. For a single 

 flowering bulb a six-inch pot will be a good size, but I 

 like to have these greenhouse forms potted on with their 

 offsets left intact, so that one may eventually have a good 

 display of flowers instead of a single spike. When 

 the offsets become plentiful, bigger pots will of course 



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