HENDERSON'S BULB CULTURE, 



SPECIAL CULTURAL INSTRUCTIONS. 



ACIS. 



A small genus of half-hardy bulbous plants with 

 delicate pink flowers, closely allied to the Snow- 

 flake. They require a light, sandy soil and the 

 protection of a cold pit or frame during winter. 



ACHIMENES. 



These most beautiful flowers are easily grown 

 in a warm greenhouse or ordinary hot-bed. The 

 bulbs should be planted about an inch deep in 

 succession, from March to May, in a light, rich 

 soil, care being taken not to give them too much 

 water till they start growing, when they should 

 get a liberal supply and be grown on for flowering 

 in a temperature of about 75 degrees. With from 

 six to ten bulbs in a five to seven inch pot, fine 

 specimens may be grown for house or conservatory 

 decoration, flowering from July till November. 

 AVhen the blossoms have withered, the plants 

 should be gradually dried off and kept quite dry 

 in a warm place all winter. The bulbs keep much 

 better if left in the dry soil until March or April, 

 when they should be carefully shaken out and re- 

 planted, as before mentioned. Dormant bulbs are 

 procurable from November to May. 



AGAPANTHUS. Blue African Lily. 



' Though introduced to cultivation many years 

 ago, this most effective decorative plant is still 

 comparatively rare. The foliage is large and 

 graceful, and clusters of twenty to thirty bright, 

 blue flowers are produced on scapes two to three 

 feet in height — the flowers opening in succession 

 for a long period during the summer and fall, thus 

 making it a noble ornament on lawns or in pots or 

 tubs on terraces or piazzas. It is of easy culture, 

 and may be grown and flowered to perfection out- 

 side during summer, and removed to a room or 

 cellar protected from frost during winter. Good 

 loam, with a little rotted manure, is all that is 

 necessary to start them growing strongly, and as 

 they make numerous strong, fleshy roots, they re- 

 quire abundance of water and a liberal supply of 

 clear manure water during the flowering season. 

 As the season advances, let the plants gradually 

 go to rest, merely giving water enough during 

 winter to keep the leaves in good condition. Strong 

 roots may be procured from November to June. 



ALBUCA. 



These pretty and remarkable Cape bulbs thrive 

 well in a sandy loam mixed with a little leaf-mould. 

 They flower in May and June, and may be grown 

 in a cold frame or in pots in the greenhouse, like 

 Ixias 



ALLIUM. 



Of this large family several species are grown 

 for their ornamental qualities. They are all 

 hardy, very showy, and continue a long time in 

 bloom. Their culture is very simple, and almost 

 any soil suits them. A. grandtflorum and A. 

 Neaftolita7iitm are among the earliest of spring 

 flowering bulbs, and being easily forced, their cut 

 flowers are highly prized for loose bouquets, vases, 

 etc. A. Mo/y, yellow, A. azureum, blue, and 

 others are admirable for clumps in the herbaceous 

 border or shrubbery, flowering in June and July, 

 and some species even later. Dormant bulbs may 

 be procured from September to March. 



ALSTR(EMERIA. 



A little known but very interesting and showy 

 family of greenhouse and half-hardy, tuberous- 

 rooted plants, with clusters of flowers of all shades 

 of scarlet, orange, red, white, and pink, either 

 self-colored or striped and spotted. Some of the 

 species, as A. aurantiaca, A. aurea, A. psitta- 

 cina, and A. Pelegrina do well planted in a cold 

 frame , and when well established (as the roots run 

 very deep) they are almost entirely hardy, and in- 

 crease very rapidly. They flower freely in sum- 

 mer, and may be planted from November to May. 



AMARYLLIS. (Hippeastrum.) 



The Amaryllis has always been a favorite 

 flower for the window garden and conservatory, 

 and it would be nearly impossible to name a more 

 magnificent or showy genus of bulbous plants. 

 Under the simplest conditions of culture they 

 throw up spikes of from one to three feet high, 

 surmounted by large trumpet-shaped flowers, 

 some nearly a foot wide when expanded, and 

 varying from four to ten inches in length. They 

 succeed best in a good, fibrous loam with a liberal 

 admixture of leaf -mould, well rotted manure and 

 sand. In potting, the thicker part of the bulb 

 only should be covered, leaving at least two-thirds 

 of the bulb above the soil. They are then started 

 in a temperature of about 60 degrees, when they 

 will soon push up flower stems, care being taken 

 that they are judiciously watered, and that the 

 plants be put where they get a fair amount of 

 light. After the bulbs have flowered and the 

 growth matured, water should gradually be dis- 

 continued as the foliage shows signs of .decay. 

 When at rest they require very little space, and 

 may be stowed away in any dry, cool place, leav- 

 ing the bulbs in the pots. With a moderate col- 

 lection of these bulbs a succession of their beauti- 

 ful flowers may be had all the year round-/ Many 



