72 



FIGEK FLOWER. 



upwards of two centuries ; with them, the bulbs are 

 generally cultivated in pots, early in the spring, and 

 transferred to the flower borders as soon as it beeomes 

 settled warm weather ; for they are very tender. 

 They generally succeed very well here, if planted at 

 once in the open borders towards the end of April, and 

 produce flowers which are pure white, and highly 

 odoriferous, on a stem from three to four feet high. 

 The bulbs produce a number^of offsets, which should 

 be preserved with the parent plants through the 

 winter, and then parted off and planted by themselves 

 in April or early in May, to produce flowering roots 

 for the ensuing year. These roots thrive best in a 

 light rich soil well pulverised, in which they should be 

 planted about two inches deep, not forgetting to take 

 them up again before the approach of winter. 



Tiger Flower. — Perhaps thereis no flower treated 

 of in this work, that is more beautiful than some of the 

 species of the genus Tigridia. Like all Mexican bulbs, 

 these are tender, and should either be cultivated in the 

 greenhouse, or carefully preserved until settled warm 

 weather, and then planted in good light soil, in a 

 sheltered situation. A bed of these beautiful flowers 

 would afford as much gratification to some as a bed 

 of Tulips. The Tigridia conchiiflora is of a rich 

 yellow colour, tinged and spotted with white crimson ; 

 the colours are very vivid and purely contrasted. The 

 Tigridia pavonia is of the brightest scarlet, tinged and 

 spotted with brilliant yellow. The coralla, which is 

 about four inches in diameter, is composed of six 

 petals ; the outer petals are thrown backward, and 



