SEA DAFFODIL. 



RETTY as a picture is this beau- 

 tiful bulb, which is liai'dy 

 south of Virginia, and vari- 

 ously known as hymenocallis, 

 pancratium, Spanish Lily, 

 Spider Lily, etc. It is one of 

 the most desirable "novel- 

 ties" I have grown for some 

 seasons. Last spring loo ex- 

 tra large bulbs were sent to me, many over the size of 

 a pint cup, and after I had sold all I could, I planted 

 the remnant late in May, and by August the plants 

 were in full flower. I was astonished and delighted 

 with the result. From August to hard frost the 

 bulbs constantly bore great masses of fine, waxy 

 white flowers, so fragrant that many objected to the 

 odor as some object to that of tuberoses. They are 

 also very peculiar in structure, each plant being 

 furnished with one thick, strong stem, surmounted 

 by clusters of blooms, often 25 to a stalk, which 

 commence to open, a few each day, until the whole 

 are expanded, the flowering period of one stalk being 

 in this way extended from ten to fourteen days. 

 Each bloom is single, with an expanded center much 

 like a Morning Glory (convolvulus), but with long, 

 slender, strap- like extensions or elongations from 

 the outer edge, which is in five sections, and these 

 give it an exceedingly quaint and attractive appear- 

 ance. From the parent stalk one can strip a single 

 flower furnished with a stem and tube fully 5 to 8 

 inches long, so that it can be easily arranged for 



cut- flowers, giving an exquisite grace to any design. 

 This Sea Daffodil is a native of the South, growing 

 most readiK- in low, flat, undrained lands, but it read- 

 ily adapts itself to any or all situations. Especially 

 will it delight the amateur, as it can be potted, and 

 with a little care, will flower in from two to six weeks. 

 At the Centennial Exposition bulbs of this kind read- 

 ily sold for $1.50 apiece as Spanish Lilies, where the 

 shrewd dealers kept a succession always in flower, 

 which needed only to be seen to find eager pur- 

 chasers. I would hesitate to say how many flowers 

 my small bed, 4x18 feet, bore last season, but there 

 were enough to make it quite an easy matter to pluck 

 from 5 to 10 long stalks per day for my friends, al-- 

 ways leaving many unplucked stalks. 



South Carolina. J. S. R. T. 



[It is evident that our correspondent refers to 

 either the Hyniowcallis Harrisiana or H. rotata, both 

 natives of the south, the former of Mexico and the 

 latter of Florida, and both also remarkably pretty. 

 The cultivation of these and several other species 

 of the genus is not so extensive as it should be, 

 especially in the warmer sections of the north, 

 where it can be easily grown especially if the bulbs 

 are stored in sand in winter as recommended for 

 other bulbs. When grown in pots in the house the 

 several species of stove and greenhouse varieties 

 require a strong loamy soil, well drained, and a 

 liberal allowance of pot room. The bulbs must be 

 buried under the soil, as shown in the illustration 

 (page 209), and always kept moist. — Ed.] 



PROPAGATING DRAC/ENAS AND NEPENTHES. 



Dracfenas require strong heat and abundance of 

 moisture. Various methods are in use in propagat- 

 ing them. Old plants frec^uently become too tall to 

 be entirely satisfactory, as their habit of growth pro- 

 duces a long, straight stem, destitute of leaves ex- 

 cept near the top. It may then be desirable to get 

 the tops rooted in small pots, making lower plants, 

 which are more attractive and more easily handled. 

 One method is to saw a pot in halves, then bring 

 the halves together, enclosing the stem a little below 

 the base of the lower leaves. Bind the pot together 

 with wire. It may rest on a platform, supported by 

 stakes set in the soil of the larger pot, or be held in 

 any convenient manner which will keep it securely 



in place. The pot is then filled with soil, placing a 

 little moss in the bottom in the ordinary manner, 

 and is kept well watered to induce roots to form. 

 Slits may be made in the bark or an incision made 

 part way through, and lengthwise of the stem, as a 

 means of facilitating root growth. 



On January 13 a plant of Drncicna Goldieana, layered 

 in this way October 21, was examined, and also one of 

 D. terniinalis , which was layered December 4 by bend- 

 ing on a piece of tin in the shape of a funnel and fasten- 

 ing it around the stem with wires and stakes. Neither 

 of these gave any indication of rooting, while two cut- 

 tings of the latter made at the same time, December 4, 

 were rooted nicely. These cuttings were made by cut- 

 ting off the tops just far enough below the leaves for a 



