698 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



mend peat and loam. Although aware that this 

 is the compost recommended and used for the 

 majority of exotic plants, we cannot subscribe to 

 its being employed for this particular tribe. A 

 better will be found in rich alluvial soil, which 

 is often met with in meadows, by river sides, or 

 by procuring light, rich, turfy loam from an old 

 sheep-pasture, or where the soil has not pre- 

 viously been subjected to cultivation, taking the 

 turf off only to the depth of 3 inches. This, 

 broken down by exposure to the air for a twelve- 

 month or so, and mixed with equal parts of 

 thoroughly decomposed cow or stable-yard ma- 

 nure, with about an eighth part of sharp river- 

 sand, the latter more or less according to the 

 lightness or stiffness of the loam, will make a 

 good compost for the majority of bulbs. Some 

 care, however, will be required that that dan- 

 gerous enemy the wire-worm be not brought in 

 along with the loam. Charring or roasting the 

 loam, when it is first brought to the compost- 

 yard, is the only certain remedy ; or to those 

 who have an objection to this, spirits of vege- 

 table tar may be advantageously employed. 



Some of the more delicate bulbs will succeed 

 well in soft, sandy, rich alluvial deposit, enriched 

 with guano, liquid-manure, or very much reduced 

 cow-dung gathered from the fields, but before it 

 has been too long exposed to the atmosphere. 



Potting. — As it has been already observed, the 

 operation of potting depends more on the state 

 of the bulbs themselves than on any particular 

 season of the year. A general potting cannot take 

 place at stated periods. When in fit condition, 

 those in pots should be carefully taken out, the 

 old soil removed entirely, and all the dead frag- 

 ments of the old roots, if any, cut away, and 

 also any loose skin that will part from the bulb 

 freely should be rubbed off. When the necessary 

 drainage is put in, a handful of charcoal should 

 be laid over it, the pot filled with the prepared 

 compost to within an inch or two of its top, 

 according to the size of the bulb. A little char- 

 coal dust, or fine silvery sand, should be laid 

 on the top, and the bulb set thereon, and the 

 pot filled up to the brim with just sufficient 

 compost to keep it in an upright position. The 

 majority of bulbs on no account should be 

 buried in the soil ; they should at all times 

 stand on the surface, the roots only being ad- 

 mitted into it. Little water should be given 

 until the roots have taken hold of the soil, and 

 the young leaves have begun to develop them- 

 selves ; afterwards it must be liberally supplied. 

 It is best to place the bulbs at once in the pots 

 they are to remain in during the season, for 

 shifting, however carefully performed, is always 

 attended with danger. 



Propagation. — The majority of bulbous plants 

 seed freely, and are increased by that means. 

 They also, for the most part, form offset bulbs 

 around the sides of the principal ones, which, 

 when removed when ripe — that is, when they 

 part freely from the parent — may be potted into 

 store-pots immediately. Seeds should be sown 

 as soon as they are ripe, if this occurs before 

 the end of July; if not, it is better to keep them 

 till the beginning of the following spring, that 

 the young plants may be strong enough to with- 



stand the following winter. The seed should be 

 sown in rich, light, sandy loam, and not covered 

 too deeply, as the seeds of most of them are 

 either very small, or else thin, chaffy-looking in 

 appearance. Water moderately at first, and as 

 vegetation proceeds increase it by degrees. Place 

 the seed-pots in a mild temperature at first, and 

 when the seeds have vegetated, increase the heat 

 and other stimulants gradually ; for it is of vast 

 importance to insure a vigorous growth, with a 

 view of obtaining as large bulbs as possible the 

 first year ; and to aid in this, excitement should 

 be kept up as late in autumn as possible, so as 

 to give them a long season of growth. When 

 vegetation has ceased, treat them exactly as 

 recommended for established bulbs. Notwith- 

 standing the apparent want of substance in the 

 seeds of bulbs, some of them will remain two 

 years in the soil before germinating, so the seed- 

 pots should not be hastily thrown out. Seed- 

 lings originated the previous season should be 

 potted off in March or April the following year. 

 Their treatment afterwards is exactly that for 

 full-grown bulbs. Every means should be em- 

 ployed to enable them to develop their foliage 

 to the fullest extent, for on this depends the 

 size of the bulbs. Some of the free -growing 

 kinds will flower the third year from seed, but 

 by far the greater number not before the fourth, 

 fifth, and sixth years. 



Most bulbous plants propagate freely by off- 

 set bulbs. Others do not so readily, as the tuni- 

 cated ones, which have a number of tunics or 

 coats regularly laid over each other, and of which 

 the onion furnishes a good example. Such bulbs, 

 however, if cut transversely a little above the 

 middle, will form young bulbs along the edges 

 of the outer coat. Such an operation is fatal to 

 the bulb ; and to prevent its rotting before the 

 bulbs have time to form, the wound should be 

 dusted over with powdered charcoal or caustic 

 lime once a- day to dry up the sap, and, still 

 farther to prevent decay, it should be placed in 

 a rather warm dry place. Collodion, which has 

 recently been brought into notice as a means of 

 stopping the loss of sap in cuttings, by applying 

 it with a very fine camel-hair brush to the part 

 where the transverse cut is made, might be ap- 

 plied with beneficial effects on the bulb, and, by 

 preventing the escape of sap from the surface 

 of the wound, might, at the same time, induce 

 the formation of bulbs round its edges. Other 

 bulbs difficult to increase may be made to do so 

 by searing their crown with a hot iron. Young 

 bulbs are thus formed round the circumference 

 of the seared part, which, when of a proper size, 

 are removed and potted. Bulbs composed of 

 numerous scales are less difficult to increase, as 

 each of these scales, if carefully removed when 

 of a proper age, has a bud at the base, and if 

 planted, will produce young plants. 



Future culture. — In private collections the 

 main object is to have fine flowers, and to in- 

 sure this, along with other judicious means, the 

 young plants which arise around the flowering 

 plant should be destroyed as soon as they appear. 

 By this practice a great accession of strength is 

 given to the main plant. And in conformity 

 with this rule, every flower should be pinched 



