594 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



August 3, 1912. 



CRINUMS FOR GARDEN 



DECORATION. 



A nuriiI)iM- the crinuins, incliuliiig ono 

 or two wlii. li ;ito second to none in the 

 gcnii^, \\u\-i- A -iitliciontly hardy constitu- 

 tion tn ii'liiiii ui" I Ih'ir successful cultivation 

 in the uiinlni. In cornnut with nianv an- 

 other exotii . thfv Intvr si'tiK'd tloun as 

 naturali.s*'d liiitisli >ui)j*'ctx with a i^oml 

 grace, and, pi ix iiln! ih.- sli^hir.i proitM- 

 tion is affordeil (Ini iu'x wrv scvcrr w r i . In r, 

 and Mioir <*sp(K'ially ■ when w * Jii t- i;i\ MiiM il 

 with tni rt-ntial rnins in niid-w inu-r, iln 

 wili not lail t<^ i < >nlve t lu-rnsid v^'-v iiUn l ii i:;*' 

 and wi<Ir-x|)ir;idi!i<j; si>eeiin*Mis. 



It u ill 4t< ,iir to t he <'ultivator to id - >. 1 1 



i^Vi-<\ -i!t'. ;ind perha]>s no 'iK ti^ r 



pi;i! <' r ;m it' I'liiii 1 tor' them thati ;i nii.srd 

 l)<)rdrr ;i ti u 1 1 ! !i 'J, npini a iihiss-lioUs< ' lacmii; 



^lUtli. It In ot p:i I iOiiolin I iln|)i)|'t ilirt' that 



thi' r^itf' \u- uril-draiiit !. and wh^Te the 



a "stit 



early summer months, but it is inadvisable 

 to put them out after August has become 

 a memory. 



Other details are to so arrange the border 

 that there is a gentle slope from the back^ 

 with a view to the plants being fairly dry 

 in wMnter; also to place a thick layer of 

 cow^ manure about a foot distant from the 

 phmts, all round, in spring, to form a basin 

 for the iHK'eption of the copious snp.plies of 

 water they require fiom May onwards. A 

 ready nutans of protect iiig the plants in 

 winiiT is found in a thick layer of leaves, 

 uhi!*' i* *'(l mats will, if properly fixed, take 

 oil ht'iivv rains, etc. 



On*' t!ii' most popular an<l most exten- 

 t l V ol a 11 ted of hardy < rinums is C. 

 I'out'lli. uhh li I believe is an hybrid that 

 1 laims ;tv patt'iiis Moorei ami C. longi- 

 tnl i imi. It lj(>a>ts a rol)nst <'onstitution, 

 a lid est ;i !>:i.sh(Ml plants produce several 

 st aples from t'ach bidb in the course of the 

 6iN»son» tin* flowers 'being rosy-red in colour. 



Kew, and last season created a 

 play. It ij. of strong growth, 

 pink flowers ibeing 'borne on 



It 



brave dis- 

 the 



scapes 



be 



is very 

 given 



necessary 

 a warm. 



6ft. 

 that 



rosy- 

 high 



this 



sheltered 



the South 



it is liable 

 the 



specie 



spot, and this applies even in 

 of England, while in the North 

 to come to grief if left in tne open. 

 Very fine must be written against its 

 variety alba, whose* pure white flowers as- 

 sume a blush tinge wrth age, which seenjs 

 to enhance its beauty. 



Walter H. Aggett. 



NIDULARIUM PICTUM. 



The BromeliadG are a much-neglected 

 race of indoor plants, some of which are 

 remarkably showy, and, what is more, they 

 retain their 'beauty a considerable time. 

 The strap-shaped leaves, w^hich are ar- 

 ranged in a regular vasiform manner, and 

 thus form a dense rosette, are of a rich 



CRINUM MOOREI IN A SHK L 



1 i . 1 4 i 



1> BOEDER AT KEW. 



natural soil is heavy and tenacious hiani, 

 which oMni rcsi^ iipnn pine clav. tli*^ i)cst 

 plan is to It-move the u liole U} 'i\ drpth (if 

 three tcvt, arui replace l)y efiicierit iliain- 

 ago and a suitabi'* medium, 

 nine-incli lay<M' f>f ilraijia^e. hi i< k-bats 



111 torni a 



<'linkers, etc., may he j)res>e<l into service, 

 followed by turvtvs gra«s sides downwards, 

 which will effectually prevent the finer pai-- 

 ticles of soil being washed into the drain- 

 age material. A mixture of turfy loam, 

 with a liberal quantity of leaf-soif, conr-c 

 sand, and broken crocks incorporated will 



meet their requirements as far as soil is con- 

 cerned. 



The best season for planting is late 

 spring, as this allows for a long pn iod in 

 order to form growth, and to become tho- 

 roughly established in their now home be- 

 fore they are called upon to withstand our 

 Knglisli winters for the first time. Speci- 

 mens of large size, in pots or tubvS, that 

 are found to occupy too much space finder 

 glass, may be arranged in permanent qiuir- colony 

 ters out of doors at any time during the border 



Then we have varieties in all)um and 

 luhrnin, wliich are well worth attention, 

 the last-named havinn^ flowiMv <,f a very 

 plcasin^o; shade m MUt rose. ] note^l a small 

 colony of C\ St liiiiip,.ri in a w<\stiM-n uarden 

 Jast season, and was .strn< k with the heautv 

 of the ]Muv whitf^ tiumel-sliaped flowers, 

 whu'h measured ihn. in length and 5in in 

 diameter. The nior=^ vio;orous of the umbels 

 had ten flo\v<^rs. whilst those of medium 

 stature were content with lialf a dozen. 

 This species hails from Abyssinia, and the 

 leaves are carried m 'p^M'fectly erect 

 fashion. 



Another white-flowered kind is seen in 

 C. latifolinni var. VennMise, and when it is 

 said that a s<'ort or more of flowers are 

 borne upon very large mnoels it will be 

 readily understood that it is a phint of very 

 considerable decorative value. Its flower- 

 ing season extends from July to the end of 

 August, when its efi'orts in this way are 

 chausted for the season. A first-rate 



surround the ^blossoms, 

 of 



a 



green, mottled with a deeper tint, and 

 spiny at the edges. The flowers are borne 

 in the centre of the tuft of leaves. They 

 are violet in ^x>lo*ur, and, being borne on 

 short stalks, are not particularly showy, 

 the most striking feature of the inflor- 

 escence being the shortened leaves which 



These leaves are 

 brilliant shining scarlet colour, a 

 feature which is retained for a long time. 



This nidularium, w^hich was introduced 

 from Brazil over sixty years ago, is avail- 

 able for various decorative purposes, a 

 valuable feature being the fact that froni 

 the firm, leathery texture of the leaves it 

 is very little affected by draughts. It 

 must be regarded essentially as a stove 

 plant. Though generally met with under 

 the name at the head of this note, it is 

 by our botanical authorities regarded as 



Like 



iMoorei 

 ig upon 



Karatus fulgens, while it is also occasion 

 ally known as Guzmannia picta. 

 niany of its class, it grows freely in a 

 compost made up chiefly of fibrous peat and 

 sand, with free drainage. S. W. 



