April.] FLOWER-GARDEN. 357 
The Sisyrinchium, will bear trimming extremely well, and con- 
tinue to produce flower-stems and flowers, notwithstanding. 
Where any of the above edgings have, for want of care, grown 
into rude disorder, they should be taken up, slipped, or divided, and 
replanted in a close regular manner. 
Tuberoses. 
The Polianthea tuberosa, or Tuberose. It is said that this beau- 
tiful flower, was first brought into Europe from the East Indies, by 
Father Theophilus Minuti, and to have been cultivated by him at 
Boisgencicr, near Touion, in France, about the year 1590. The 
double flowering variety, was obtained from the seed, by Monsieur 
Le Cour, of Leyden, in Holland; who, for many years, was so tena- 
cious of the roots, even after he had propagated them in such plen- 
ty, as to have more than he could plant, that he caused them to be 
cut in pieces, to have the vanity of boasting, that he was the only 
person in Europe that possessed this flower. It appears from E-ve- 
lyn's Kalendar, that it was cultivated in England in 1664; from 
whence, no doubt, it was imported into America. 
To have this fragrant flower in tolerable early perfection, you 
may about the first of this month, or any time in March, plant a 
few roots in pots of light rich mould, one in each, first stripping 
off the offsets, for if these are left on, they will draw away a consi- 
derable part of the nourishment, whereby the bloom will be greatly 
weakened. The u/ifier part of the roots, when planted in pots % 
should only be covered about a quarter of an inch deep: imme- 
diately plunge the pots to their rims in a hot-bed, and give but 
very little water, if any, until the plants are up and growing freely, 
but afterwards, they will require a good supply. As the weather 
gets warm, give them plenty of air, and also sufficient head-room, 
till the middle of May; then, place them where designed to flower; 
first tying the advancing stems, to small green painted sticks, to 
prevent their being dashed about by the winds. 
The time for planting these roots in the open ground is, in the 
southern states, between the first and twentieth of this month, the 
more northerly, the later; in the middle states, the last week in 
April, or first ten days of May; and in the eastern states, between 
the fifteenth and twentieth of May. 
Prepare for them beds of rich sandy loam, which being well trench- 
ed or dug, divest the roots of all the larger offsets, or of the whole, 
if the flowers are the exclusive objects, and plant them in rows one 
foot asunder, and eight inches distant from one another therein; 
making small drills for their reception, and covering their crowns, 
or upper parts, about an inch or an inch and a half deep, with fine 
loose earth; they will require no further care, but to keep them 
free from weeds, and to support their flower stems, till November, 
when the roots are to be taken up, and managed as then directed, 
except to cut off the stems after the bloom is over. The offsets 
are to be planted in like manner, but somewhat closer, to produce 
blowing roots, for the ensuing season, as the old ones seldom flower 
well the second year, though they will increase abundantly. 
