NATIVE PLANTS JN FIELD, FOREST AND GABDEA. 



283 



and kept in water, in the shade, they will last much 

 longer. I have only two good bulbs now that have been 

 allowed to grow undisturbed for two or three years. 

 They are very close together, not over two or three inches 

 between the bulbs. The illustration (Fig. 3) is from two 

 stalks cut from these bulbs June 16. The two stalks 

 came up so close together that I took them both in one 

 hand and cut both at one stroke with a small budding 

 knife. The two were never separated, but put into a bot- 

 tle of water, car- -iiOTTKL 

 ried to the pho- ^'llT '^'^f 



tographer 

 thepictur 

 Each st 

 four oper 

 and one 



unopened bud in 



addition. The ^pj'"'- J ji^'' 

 last week in July "" - 

 these two bulbs 

 each sent up an- 

 other flower 

 stalk ; the larger 

 bulb gave four 

 blossoms and the 

 other three. The 

 first week in Sep- 

 tember the larger 

 bulb sent u p a 

 third stalk with 

 five flowers ; this 

 time the plant 

 set and matured 

 several seeds. 

 The seeds are 

 very large, thick 

 and fleshy, many 

 of them resem- 

 ble a large horse- 

 chestnut in size 

 and shape. They 

 would not be 

 recognized as 

 seeds by any one 

 not familiar with 

 this genus. 1 

 have sent several 

 bulbs of this cri- 

 num to friends in 

 northern ""states. 



Fig. 



The report has always been favorable. They seem to 

 take very kindly to cultivation as house plants. 



This species is now catalogued by several northern 

 florists, but usually at an exorbitant price. They are 

 abundant and cheap in Florida and should be sold at a 

 price that would enable every one to try this very desir- 

 able novelty. Why should we import plants from abroad 

 and pay extravagant prices for them and neglect better 

 things because they are natives and can be bought at a 



reasonable price ! The real beauty and merit of many 

 things is thus overlooked. 



A few directions for the culture of this species may be 

 valuable to some who desire to try it. They should have 

 a light, ;'/£'// soil, plenty of muck or leaf mould, sand and 

 thoroughly rotted stable manure, but no clay if any soil 

 is available that is free from it. When growing they 

 need large quantities of water and as much heat as pos- 

 sible. They will thrive fully exposed to the sun, yet in a 



state o f nature 

 they usually 

 grow in the shade 

 of heavy timber. 

 Hence it is pro- 

 bable that they 

 can be grown in 

 the house in 

 rooms where 

 they will have 

 plenty of light, 

 even though they 

 get no direct 

 sunshine. 



In Florida the 

 tops are killed to 

 the ground by 

 the first heavy 

 frost and then 

 the plants re- 

 main dormant 

 until warm 

 weather i n the 

 spring. The 

 bulbs could 

 doubtless be win- 

 tered in a cellar 

 that was free 

 from frost . I f 

 kept in a warm 

 room they would 

 probably grow 

 nearly all winter. 

 This species 

 never makes as 

 large bulbs a s 

 most of the other 

 species do. 

 Hence they can- 

 not be kept in a 

 3- dry state so long. 



Yet fair sized bulbs may be kept entirely dry in a warm 

 room for five or six weeks without injury. This will 

 enable dealers to handle and mail the bulbs with much 

 less trouble and expense than if they are required to be 

 kept in moist earth all the time. In mailing I usually 

 wrap the bulbs in old newspapers, dry, without any 

 packing material. — W. C. Steele, /•'/<?. 



An Insectivorous Plant. — Seekers after wonderful 

 and curious things in nature need not search the vege- 



