MA.Y. 



59 



much water when growing strongly, especially those in wooden boxes. I have 

 never succeeded in growing them permanently in glass houses, although I have 

 seen it done by a few persons with the Tritonias and hardier Ixias. I was 

 told then that they did best when kept several seasons in the same pot without 

 change of soil. 



With regard to published instructions, Mrs. Loudon's book on bulbs, and 

 Mr. Beaton's series of articles in the old Cottage Gardener, contain the best 

 information extant on the subject. 



I will now describe as well as I can your correspondent's plants, beginning 

 with Irideae. Antholyza preealta is a noble and picturesque plant, increasing 

 rapidly by bulbs ; but the difficulty is to get them big enough in one season's 

 growth to flower the next, when every bulb usually makes three or four instead 

 of increasing in size itself. It is killed by a very little frost. I was once much 

 struck with its beauty one evening in the garden of the Chinja, at Naples 

 early in February. The next morning every plant was cut down by frost. A 

 substratum of dung has been recommended. All the Babianas are pretty. Rubro- 

 cyanea is a gem of the first water ; they are somewhat more delicate than 

 Ixias. Many Gladioli will thrive in pots in the greenhouse or cold frame. 

 Natalensisj the parent of our noble race of orange scarlets, is quite hardy ; 

 Blandus is nearly so, very delicate and pretty, and was one parent of a charming 

 early-flowering race originated by Herbert, but now nearly lost ; Hirsutus is a 

 very interesting sort, of which there are several varieties to be grown as the 

 Ixias, &c. Hesperantha cinnamomea, curious, not handsome. Hypox's, say 

 greenhouse. Geissorhizas are wee little delicate things, resembling Tricho- 

 nema, flowering almost on the ground ; would be better seen if grown in pots 

 in the cold frame. Melanthiums, of no beauty, of rather hardy nature. 

 Sparaxis is a mere section of Ixia, both extremely pretty, requiring the frame 

 and bed ; so also Tritonia, Watsonia, Morsea. Tritonias are nearly all crimson 

 or scarlet. Morseas are day flowers, formed like Iris, and extremely pretty. 

 Lapeyrousia, as Geissorhiza eorymbosa, is a gem. Wurmbea, Anomatheca 

 junce'a, of no beauty. The Editor will perhaps excuse me as an old hand if I 

 differ from him in not recommending the preliminary potting with heat, and 

 it was doubtless by a lapsus pennce that Watsonias were pronounced evergreen ; 

 they require the treatment of Ixias and the tenderer Gladioli, to which they 

 are nearly related. In the frame-bed may be planted Albuca. 



Now for the more difficult subjects. Amaryllis revoluta. — This generally 

 turns out to be the common Belladonna Lily ; if true, it is a very pretty but 

 rather difficult greenhouse bulb. I used to flower it by hanging it up in the 

 greenhouse with a pan of water underneath it when in full growth. Bruns- 

 vigia falcata is a greenhouse plant ; will not flower unless plunged in strong 

 bottom heat about midsummer. I have flowered it there many times. It 

 is handsome, but very soon over ; should be kept quite dry in winter, being 

 apt to start with the least moisture ; soil sandy. Disa grandiflora is the gem 

 of the lot, requires pure cold-frame treatment, being brought into the green- 

 house to flower. The other Disas are but little known. Satyrium, these are 

 rarely flowered a second time. Treat as English Orchis, grow in cold frame, 

 keep dry when dormant, take especial care to exclude worms, and have much 

 patience. For Lachenalias I recommend pot-cultivation in the greenhouse : 

 the same for Oxalis. These are mostly hardy, but spread and overwhelm 

 other things when in the open bed. Nerine sarniensis, the Guernsey Lily, 

 may be thrown away ; it has already flowered, or tried to do so, in the 

 packing-case, and will never flower again. They are put in by the Cape people 

 to make weight. The Ornithogalums are both handsome greenhouse plants. 

 Brunsvigia ciliaris, an extremely difficult bulb of no beauty, which no one I 



