16 
THE IXIA AND ALLIED PLANTS- 
When the flower-stems are produced, the 
taller growing kinds will require supporting 
in an upright position by neat and slender 
stakes, which should be painted of a dull olive 
green colour, so as to be as little conspicuous 
as possible : it is not in good taste to have 
these stakes painted of a more lively green 
than that of the plants, neither is any other 
striking colour at all desirable. "While the 
plants continue in bloom, and until their 
foliage has evidently attained mature growth, 
the supply of water must be maintained ; and 
though, during the period of bloom, the plants 
may require to be placed in situations (such 
as drawing-rooms, &c.) where their decorative 
effect more than any thing else is the object, 
yet, as soon as the bloom is past, the plants 
must be placed in a situation where they will 
get as strong light as can be secured to them, 
in order that the elaborative functions of the 
leaves may prepare a store of organizable mat- 
ter for the production of flowers in the follow- 
ing year. When this object has been gained, 
and the leaves indicate a disposition to turn 
yellow, the supply of moisture must be gra- 
dually cut off until they become quite dried 
up, when the bulbs are to be left embedded 
in the dry soil. In this state, they may be 
allowed to remain on the shelves of the 
greenhouse until the season arrives for re- 
potting. 
CULTURE IN FRAMES AND PITS. 
The treatment of these plants, when kept in 
frames and pits, differs in no wise from that 
which should be followed out in the green- 
house, except in so far as the situation is con- 
cerned. The pit should be one of those — 
adapted for preserving greenhouse plants — 
which are capable of excluding frost : it 
should be quite free from damps, but as the 
roots will not be in an active state during 
winter, no provision for heating it need be 
made on their account ; they only require 
sufficient covering, according to the state of 
the weather, to exclude frost. 
As regards the general management of the 
pit, through the winter it may be kept com- 
paratively close, being opened a little in fine 
mild weather, in order to purify the interior. 
In the spring, as the plants grow, it may be 
opened a little every day while the weather is 
fine, but not so much as to chill the plants 
with cold air ; for although they may be 
grown, under certain circumstances, in the 
open ground, as will presently be explained, 
yet, when the protection of a pit is afforded to 
them, this treatment is altogether incompati- 
ble with direct exposure. In cultivating exotic 
plants of any kind, whatever course of treat 
ment is afforded should be followed out as a 
whole, and not mixed up with features which 
belong to a totally different course. Plants 
like these, therefore, to which protection has 
been throughout afforded, should not, at dif- 
ferent intervals, be too much exposed. During 
the winter, if the lights are tilted up at the 
back a couple of inches, when air is required 
to be admitted, a sufficient degree of ventila- 
tion will be afforded, and in the warmer 
weather of spring, when the plants are in a 
growing state, double this quantity would at 
any time be sufficient. 
The plants in pits will be somewhat less 
subjected to drying influences than those in 
the greenhouse, and will, consequently, re- 
quire fewer and more limited applications of 
water. If, however, the principle of applying 
water only when the soil appears to be getting 
dry is adopted, there will be little risk of ap- 
plying too much during the earlier stages of 
growth, and subsequently, when a greater 
supply is required, this risk becomes consider- 
ably lessened. 
In all other respects, such as potting, af- 
fording as much light as possible, resting, &c, 
the same treatment should be given them as 
that recommended in the greenhouse. 
GROWING IXIAS, &C, IN PROTECTED BEDS 
AND BORDERS. 
Notwithstanding that this class of plants, 
being brought from climates warmer than our 
own, requires to have the protection afforded 
by glass erections, to bring them to perfection, 
yet they may be grown so as to become very 
pretty objects, even in the open ground, pro- 
vided a dry and sheltered place is selected for 
them, and a trifling degree of protection is 
afforded them. When grown in this way, 
however, they do not spring up or bloom at 
the usual period, but just start into growth as 
the genial weather of spring excites them, 
and flower under the influence of increasing 
solar power. 
What is wanted, is not a situation remark- 
able for the amount of influence which the 
sun exerts upon it during the winter season ; 
for this would be too likely to excite the bulb3 
into growth at an earlier period than would 
be desirable. It is of far greater importance 
that the selected spot be what is termed on a 
" dry bottom ;" that is, where no superfluous 
water rests among the subsoil ; for without 
this condition there is but little hope of suc- 
cess. The danger to be anticipated from 
frost is not of any material extent, for the 
manner in which the surface of the beds 
should be covered will keep the frost from 
penetrating to the injury of the roots. The 
bad effect to be anticipated from the exciting 
influence of the sun maybe avoided by adopt- 
