138 



THE BULB HOUSE. 



PROPAGATION AND TREATMENT WHILE YOUNG. 



Many species of bulbous-rooted plants produce seeds, and the majority 

 of them produce offsets, which are either small, or imperfectly formed 

 bulbs, but which, by cultivation for a longer or shorter period, according 

 to their various habits, become of sufficient size and perfection to produce 

 Howers. These offsets are to be taken off when the plant is in a state of 

 rest, which happens in most sorts when they have done flowering. 



Some kinds of bulbous-rooted plants do not readily increase by offsets ; 

 such as are of the tunicate shape are of this order. A tunicated or coated 

 bulb, (hulhus tunicatusj, consists of a number of tunics, or coats, which 

 are regularly laid over each other ; the common onion furnishes an example 

 of this bulb. Such bulbs, if cut over transversely a little above the 

 middle, will form young bulbs in abundance near the margin of the outer 

 coat. As there is some danger of a bulb so treated rotting off before the 

 young bulbs have time to form, particularly if kept in a damp situation, we 

 would suggest the application of finely powdered charcoal, or caustic 

 lime dust being applied daily, to dry up the sap which will flow from 

 the wound, and which, if not stopped, or dried up, will cause decay to 

 take place. 



Many bulbous-rooted plants produce seeds in abundance, both naturally 

 and artificially. By the latter mode, the late Mr. Sweet, the Hon. 

 and Rev. William Herbert, and others, have originated many splendid 

 hybrid varieties, particularly of that splendid genus Amarylhs. Seeds 

 being obtained, proceed to sow them as soon as they are ripe, if that does 

 not take place after July ; but if later, they had better be kept till the 

 beginning of next March, for if they were brought into a state of vegetation 

 towards autumn, there would be a great risk of losing them during the 

 winter ; whereas, if sovm early in spring, they have the whole summer to 

 grow in, and will have attained a state, before the following winter, to 

 secure themselves from harm. It is of little use to sow seeds of any free 

 vegetating plant during winter, for they do not in general germinate, but 

 remain inactive, in a state,, perhaps, very similar to the torpid condition of 

 many animals ; but on the coming of spring, the ^' penetrative sun" rouses 

 the embryo from its slumber into animated life. 



Light, rich, sandy loam, with a part of well decomposed leaf-mould, is 

 the best soil in which to sow seeds of all bulbous-rooted plants. The pots 

 should be well drained, but at the same time, too much of their space 

 should not be taken up with the drainage, because the roots of bulbs 



