June.] FLOWER-GARDEN. 41 7 
and it will be well to plant them either in or before the last week 
of July or the first in August. By planting them at this time, they 
will blow stronger than if kept loo long out of the ground. All 
these sorts in their flowering state, are generally unattended with 
leaves, which spring up after the flowers fade. 
It is not absolutely necessary to take up these bulbs every year, 
once in two or three years will do; but then it must be done, in 
order to separate the offsets for increase, and to plant the strong 
roots in fresh earth, which will cause them to shoot and flower 
much more luxuriantly. 
Cyclamens* 
There are five different species of Cyclamen described, viz. 
the Cyclamen Coum, europium, persicum, hederaefolium, and indi- 
cum; the first a native of the south of Europe, the second of Aus- 
tria, the third of Persia, the fourth of Italy, and the fifth of Ceylon; 
with several varieties arising from these species. They are ail too 
tender to bear the winter frosts of the middle and eastern states, 
and consequently must be treated as green house-plants; where they 
shouid be kept in the front windows, to have the benefit of as 
much light and air as possible. The leaves being generally de- 
cayed about this time, the roots may be taken up and replanted im- 
mediately into a composition of, one half good loamy earth, one 
fourth sand, and one fourth light moory earth, or earth of rotten 
leaves, all being well incorporated together. They do not require 
to be taken up oftener than every second or third year, and then 
only, to give them fresh earth, as they never increase by offsets, 
and are only propagated by seed, or by cutting the roots through 
across the crowns, which latter method is, generally, very unsuc- 
cessful. 
The first and second sorts flower in January and February, the 
third in March and April, and the others in September and October, 
they continue a long time in bloom, and display flowers of a curious 
structure and delicately beautiful. The pots containing these roots 
must be kept during the summer months, where they will not be 
much exposed to the sun, and in that time should have but little 
water, as their roots are, generally, then in an inactive state, and 
would soon rot by too much moisture. 
All the sorts may be propagated by seed, which should be sown 
soon after being ripe, or early in spring, and covered near half an 
inch deep; they must always be protected from frost and also from 
the summer sun; the September following, you are to lay over the 
roots, not covering the leaves, half an inch or better of good loose 
sandy earth, and during the following winter and ensuing summer, 
protect them as before. Any time in the summer of the second 
or third year that the leaves are decayed, take up the roots, and 
replant them in pots of fresh earth, covering them one inch deep; 
here they remain till they flower, which will generally be in the 
fourth and fifth years after sowing, but sometimes, when taken good 
care of, and treated with a suitable composition, some of the kinds 
will flower early in the third year from seed. 
3G 
