September,'] green-house — observations. 275 



bulbs, principally from the Cape of Good Hope. Many of 

 them have but little attraction. The most beautiful that we 

 have seen are 0. lacfeum, which has a spike about one foot 

 long, of fine white flowers, 0. Peruviana, blue-fiowered, and 

 0. aureitm, flowers of a golden color, in contracted racemose 

 corymbs. These three are magnificent. 0. maritimum is 

 the officinal squill. The bulb is frequently as large as a 

 human head, pear-shaped, and tunicated like the onion. 

 From the centre of the root arise several shining glaucous 

 leaves a foot long, two inches broad at base, and narrowing to 

 a point. They are green during winter, and decay in the 

 spring ; then the flower-stalk comes out, rising two feet, naked 

 half way^ and terminated by a pyramidal thyrse of white 

 flowers. The bulb ought to be kept dry from the end of 

 June till now, or it will not flower freely. 



GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 



"Watering, and other practical care of the plants, to be 

 done as heretofore described. Frequently the weather at the 

 end of this month becomes cool and heavy. Dew falling 

 through the night will, in part, supply the syringing opera- 

 tion, but it must not be suspended altogether. Once or 

 twice a-week will suffice. Any of the plants that are plunged 

 should be turned every week. In wet weather^ observe that 

 none are suff"ering from moisture. 



SEPTEMBER. 



During this month, every part of the green-house should 

 have a thorough cleansing, which is too frequently neglected, 

 and many hundreds of insects left unmolested. To preserve 

 the wood- work in good order, give it one coat of paint every 

 year. Repair all broken glass, white-wash the whole interior, 

 giving the flues two or three coats, and cover the stages with 

 hot lime, whitewash or oil paint; examine ropes, pulleys and 

 weights, finishing by washing the pavement perfectly clean. 



