September.'] green-house — observations. 275 
bulbs, principally from the Cape of Good Hope. Many of 
them have but little attraction. The most beautiful that we 
have seen are 0. lacteum, which has a spike about one foot 
long, of fine white flowers, 0. Peruviana, blue flowered, and 
0. aureum, flowers of a golden colour, in contracted racemose 
corymbs. These three are magnificent. 0. maritimum is 
the officinal squill. The bulb is frequently as large as a 
human head, pear-shaped, and tunicated like the onion. From 
the centre of the root arise several shining glaucous leaves a 
foot long, two inches broad at base, and narrowing to a point. 
They are green during winter, and decay in the spring ; then 
the flower-stalk comes out, rising two feet, naked half way, 
and terminated by a pyramidal thyrse of white flowers. The 
bulb ought to be kept dry from the end of June till now, or 
it will not flower freely. 
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Watering, and other practical care of the plants, to be 
done as heretofore described. Frequently the weather at the 
end of this month becomes cool and heavy. Dew falling 
through the night will, in part, supply the syringing opera- 
tion, but it must not be suspended altogether. Once or twice 
a week will suffice. Any of the plants that are plunged 
should be turned every week. In wet weather, observe that 
none are suffering from moisture. 
SEPTEMBER. 
During this mouth, every part of the green-house should 
have a thorough cleansing, which is too frequently neglected, 
and many hundreds of insects left unmolested. To preserve 
the wood-work in good order, give it one coat of paint every 
year. Repair all broken glass, whitewash the whole interior, 
giving the flues two or three coats, and cover the stages with 
hot lime, whitewash, or oil-paint; examine ropes, pulleys, and 
weights, finishing by washing the pavement perfectly clean. 
