160 



THE BULB HOUSE. 



The species of Crinum and Pancratium are both extensive and very 

 desirable as fine-flowering and fragrant plants. Their culture is much 

 less difficult than that of many other bulbs, but like them they are often 

 injured by being kept in a constant state of excitement. During the period 

 of making their leaves and producing their flowers, they require to be 

 liberally supplied with water, but when the one fades and the other is 

 fully formed, water should be gradually withheld from them. The follow- 

 ing judicious remarks on the genus Crinum by Mr. Sansome, in the 

 Floricultm-al Cabinet, is applicable to both. 



" The greater part of this genus, being inhabitants of hot countries, 

 require the stove in order to their success, and a liberal supply of water 

 during the summer nionths ; but during winter, the quantity of moisture 

 should always be diminished, otherwise many of the bulbs will perish. 

 I find, however, those v^th columnar stems do not object to plenty of 

 moisture at all times as the habit of their leaves is more decidedly peren- 

 nial ; but it is by far the best, at all times, to rather underwater than 

 overwater, and particularly those varieties which are of tender growth. 



The compost I find best for Crinums generally, is a rich, yellow loam, 

 rather of a friable texture ; many cultivators of Crinums use peat in the 

 composts, but I consider it very prejudicial; plenty of drainage in the 

 pots I consider very essential, so that the plants may often receive the 

 proper nourishment of fresh water — the size of the pot depends on the 

 habit of the bulb — but in order to bloom them well, they require plenty of 

 pot room when in a healthy state. Whenever the youngest leaves of any 

 Crinum with a perennial bulb, turn yellow and decay, the bulb should be 

 allowed to go to rest for a short period ; too much moistm-e, in too low a 

 temperature, wiU often produce this effect. In potting, the whole of the 

 column should be kept above the soil, and all the obsolete coats, which 

 are the base of the decayed leaves, should be gradually stripped away, 

 leaving the bulbous stem smooth aM clean. I find nearly the whole 

 genus to succeed the best when plunged up to the rim of the pots in 

 troughs of sand, which are fixed over the flues ; and during very hot 

 weather, I find it essential to inundate the troughs, but not to keep 

 them constantly flooded. Some of the species, at the approach of winter, 

 will require the pots to be turned on their sides, and to be kept perfectly 

 dry. As soon as the plant has ceased to vegetate, shake the earth care- 

 fully from the bulb, pull off the decayed coats mthout making the bulb \fr 

 bleed, and re-pot it in dry pulverized loam, and let no water be given till 

 the spring. My minimum heat is sixty five degrees of Fahrenheit, and 

 maximum, from eighty to ninety degrees." 



