HENDERSON'S BULB CULTURE. 



*7 



carefully done, is sure to cripple and seriously in- 

 jure them. 



The early white Roman Hyacinth is a valuable 

 and beautiful variety and is very largely used for 

 forcing for winter flowers by florists in all large 

 cities, New York alone using over a million bulbs 

 every season. By a succession of plantings, be- 

 ginning in September, they are had in flower from 

 November to May, and even later. The method 

 of culture is to place the bulbs thickly together in 

 pots or shallow boxes, placing them in a cold frame 

 or out of doors, covering them up so that they do 

 not get severely frozen. They should remain in 

 this condition for at least four weeks before they 

 are brought in to force, which should be done 

 gradually, beginning at 50 degrees, and advancing 

 to 65 degrees or 70 degrees, a succession being 

 secured as occasion or necessity demands. The 

 flowers, which are smaller than those of the ordin- 

 ary Hyacinth, are produced in great profusion, 

 each bulb producing on an average three or four 

 spikes of delicately-scented pure white blossoms. 

 They are not hardy north of Washington, but suc- 

 ceed' admirably as a late crop, with the protection 

 of a cold pit or frame. 



IRIS. Rainbow Flower. 



These beautiful plants are most suitable for 

 flower borders, being quite hardy and growing 

 well in any good garden soil. The English and 

 Spanish bulbous varieties should be planted from 

 September to December, in clumps, in front of a 

 shrubbery or herbaceous border, when they may 

 be seen to the best advantage, the crown of the 

 bulb not more than three inches below the surface, 

 and as the new bulb is annually formed below the 

 old one, it will be found necessary to transplant 

 them every three or four years. In the Iris Ger- 

 manica section (the " Fleur-de-Lis " of France) 

 may be found the most diversified shades of color, 

 ranging through richest yellows, intense purples, 

 delicate blues, soft mauves, beautiful claret reds, 

 whites, primroses, and bronzes of every imagin- 

 able shade, rivalling in beauty the finest orchids. 

 The are perfectly hardy, thrive anywhere, and 

 blocm luxuriantly, particularly if plentifully sup- 

 plied with water, or if planted in moist situations 

 or on the banks of ponds, &c. These flower in 

 May and June, closely followed however by the 

 • Japan Iris" section {Iris Kaemftferi,) which 

 lengthens out the season until midsummer, and 

 the magnificence of which, in size, and richness of 

 coloring, is unsurpassed. The flowers are of enor- 

 mous Jsize, averaging from six to eight inches 

 across, and of indescribable and charming hues 

 and colors, varying like watered silk in the sun- 

 light ; the prevailing colors being white, crimson, 

 rose, lilac, lavender, violet, and blue, each flower 

 usually representing several shades, while a golden 

 yellow blotch surrounded by a halo of blue or violet 

 at the base of the petals, intensifies the wealth of 

 coloring. The Japan Iris is perfectly hardy, at- 

 taining its greatest perfection if grown in a rich, 

 deep moist soil, or if plentifully supplied with 

 water. Complaints are often heard that plants of 

 these Irises are difficult to flower, and the fact is, 

 that if not carefully transplanted (which should be 

 done in March or April) they do not flower the first 

 year, but are, on that account, much finer the 

 second season. In short, they must be well estab- 

 lished before they can produce fine flowers. Strong 

 dormant roots may be procured from November to 

 May. 



ISMENE. (See Pancratium). 



IXIA. African Corn Lily. 



Beautiful little winter flowering bulbs from the 

 Cape of Good Hope, bearing spikes of large, showy 

 flowers, various in color, and exceedingly attract- 

 ive when fully expanded by sunshine. As they 

 are not hardy north of Washington, they should 

 have the protection of a cold pit during winter 

 and be planted in September about three inches 

 deep and as far apart, surrounding the bulbs with 

 an inch or so of sand. Grown as pot plants for 

 winter blooming, five or six bulbs in five inch pots 

 make lovely and useful plants for greenhouse or 

 home decoration, while their abundance of fine 

 spikes of bloom are charming for cutting for loose 

 flowers, vases, etc. Dormant bulbs may be pro- 

 cured from September to March. 



IXIOLIRION. Ixia Lily. 



A small genus of rare and beautiful bulbous 

 plants from Asia Minor. They have simple, erect 

 stems, witn terminal clusters or racemes of sky- 

 blue flowers, and though quite hardy, it is advisa- 

 ble to give them a position in a cold pit or frame 

 to protect their blossoms, which not only last long 

 in good condition on the plants in spring, but are 

 also very enduring in a cut state. 



JONQUIL. Narcissus Jonquilla. 



A species of the Narcissus family, highly prized 

 for their graceful habit of growth and the' pro- 

 fusion of deliciously sweet-scented, deep, yellow- 

 colored flowers. They are much prized for pot 

 culture, requiring precisely the same treatment as 

 that to which Hyacinths are subjected. Grown in 

 a cold frame they are exceedingly useful for cut- 

 ting for vases, etc., and being perfectly hardy, a 

 succession of bloom will follow out of doors ir 

 spring. Dormant bulbs may be obtained from 

 September to March. 



LACHENALIA. Cape Cowslip. 



Very interesting and showy greenhouse bulbs 

 from the Cape of Good Hope, having long, lanceo- 

 late leaves, often spotted, and erect stems bearing 

 pendulous flowers of various colors, yellow pre- 

 dominating. They should be potted eight or ten 

 in a five inch pot in the fall, in light, fibrous loam, 

 with a mixture of leaf-mould and sand, and only 

 moderately watered till they have started to grow, 

 but when in full growth they are greedy of water, 

 and do well under the semi-aquatic treatment of 

 a pan of water under the pots. Dormant bulbs 

 may be procured from September to January. 



LEUCOCORYNE. White Club- 

 Flower. 



Very pretty half-hardy bulbous plants produc- 

 ing numerous Brodisea-like heads of bloom in 

 August. They may be cultivated either in the 

 cold frame or in the open ground, if they are taken 

 up and preserved in sand through the winter. The 

 flowers are large for the size of the plant, and are 

 either white or lilac. 



LEUCOJUM. Snowflake. 



Beautiful hardy bulbs, growing to the height of 

 twelve to eighteen inches, and producing, when 

 well established, enormous quantities of Snow- 



