332 



THE FLOWER GROWER'S GUIDE. 



solitary leaf to each. The flowers are about 3 inches across, pure white, with prominent 

 coronas. E. Sanderiana, New Grenada, resembles E. grandiflora in habit and foliage, 

 but the flowers are smaller and differ in colour. They are pure white, with the filaments 

 and inside of the tube yellow ; corona suppressed and the umbels are from three to 

 seven flowered, on erect scapes 18 inches long. E. Stevensi (Fig. 152) is one of the 

 finest. It possesses the bold characteristics of E. grandiflora, is very floriferous, and 

 said to be less subject to visitations from the mite. It was raised by Mr. Stevens, 

 gardener to W. Thompson, Esq., "Walton Grange, Stone, Staffordshire, and has been 

 honoured by the Royal Horticultural Society. 



Eucharises can be raised from seed, sowing as soon as ripe, or in February, in pans 

 of sandy soil, in a temperature of 80°, covering with a square of glass and keeping 

 moist and well shaded till the plants appear. Transfer the seedlings to pans of sandy, 

 peaty soil, and before they become crowded place them singly in small pots. Plunge 

 these, or arrange them on moisture-holding material, in brisk heat and a moist atmos- 

 phere, carefully shading from strong sunshine. When the small pots are becoming 

 well filled with roots shift the plants into larger sizes, and do not dry them off 

 at the roots. It is usually three years or more before the bulbs arrive at a flowering 

 size. 



The usual method of increase is by division of the bulbs any time during the spring. 

 Old bulbs form offsets freely, and these are detached, each with a few roots, and placed 

 singly in 3-inch pots. Treat as advised in the case of seedlings, and they will then 

 develop into strong flowering plants. The pots ought in all cases to be well drained, and 

 the soil used should consist of two parts of good fibrous loam (broken up coarsely for 

 the larger pots), one part each of leaf soil and peat, with sand and charcoal to keep the 

 compost open. If the loam is void of fibre or liable to turn sour, add a sprinkling of 

 charred earth. Decayed manure is not recommended. What feeding is required is best 

 given in the form of clear liquid manure, notably soot-water. 



It is a mistake to be constantly potting and re-potting Eucharises. A group of bulbs 

 strongly established in 9 -inch to 12 -inch pots may remain undisturbed for several years, 

 flowering satisfactorily twice and sometimes thrice in a season. If kept too long in 

 this state they will burst the pots containing the bulbs. These large crowded groups 

 do not move well into larger pots, and the better plan is to pull them in pieces, grade 

 the bulbs and re-pot, arranging six of the largest in 9 -inch or 10 -inch pots, sinking 

 them in the soil to nearly their full depth t and the same number of medium-sized bulbs 



