220 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



will not lead to very satisfactory results. Andrews says, " They 

 are of so hardy a nature as to require no further protection than 

 shelter from severe frosts." Another writer states, " They should 

 not be put in a dry place or in a situation exposed to fire heat." 

 I think both are somewhat astray, although with this treatment 

 they are said to have produced leaves 18 inches long. How- 

 ever, the time given for flowering, September, seems suspicious, 

 as I have never known any species to flower at that time of 

 year. To have satisfactory results it is necessary to secure 

 sound well-matured bulbs, and it will be found that home-grown 

 ones are far superior to imported bulbs, not only for one 

 year, but for an indefinite period. In proof of this I can assert 

 that for at least twenty years L. tricolor has been grown at 

 Glasnevin, that no fresh bulbs of this species have been pur- 

 chased during that period ; and that never have the flowers been 

 better than in February 1891, some of the scapes carrying as 

 many as twenty-four flowers. In fact newly imported bulbs 

 require careful cultivation for some years before the best results 

 are attained. 



Time of Potting. — Here again the advice and directions 

 given vary much : Pot as soon as the leaves die down ; pot 

 before the new roots appear ; pot when the new roots have some- 

 what grown. I cannot imagine any thinking practical grower 

 seriously giving such advice as to pot when the roots had begun 

 to grow. The young roots are very delicate, white in colour, 

 unbranched, and easily broken. When once injured they die 

 back to the base, and do not branch above the injured part. 

 This I proved by potting some bulbs which had already made 

 roots, and turning them out after some time. The old roots 

 were all dead, and new roots were growing from the necks of the 

 bulbs. I find the middle of August to be the best time to pot, 

 and my plants are invariably potted between August 10 and 20, 

 the latter date being rather too late. However, I find that the 

 time of flowering is not altered by potting in June, July, or 

 August, the after-treatment in each case being the same. 



Potting Material. — The material in which Lachenalias are 

 grown must be rich. The compost I have used with most 

 success is two parts of loam, one part of leaf-mould, one half- 

 part of decayed manure, to which I add some fertiliser such as 

 fish-potash guano, the effect of which I think is to intensify 



