gardens of the curious louers of these delights, and 
to be worne of them abroad, which for the gallant 
beauty of many of them, deserueth their courteous en- 
tertainment, among many other the like pleasures.” 
It is usually propagated by offsets from the bulbs, 
which may be removed at any time after the decay 
of the tops, till they again begin to vegetate ; and 
they will grow in almost any soil or aspect. If 
the bulbs be taken up they should not be kept out 
of the ground more than a month, or they will wither 
and be destroyed. 
The Dutch florists obtain new varieties by rais- 
ing them from seed ; a practice rarely pursued in 
England, and of which we have had no experience. 
Miller directs that the seed be sown in August, in 
boxes of light earth ; for if kept longer, he says it 
will not grow. Give partial shade till October, but 
admit the full advantage of the sun during winter, 
and protect from severe frosts. The young plants 
will be an inch high in March, when they should be 
kept free of weeds; exposed only to the morning 
sun during the heat of summer, and be watered as 
occasion may require. In August, when the tops 
will be decayed, spread the boxes of soil, together 
with the small young bulbs that are mingled amongst 
it, on a bed prepared in a warm aspect, and cover 
the whole, a quarter of an inch deep, with light 
fresh loam. Here the roots may remain till they 
flower, which will generally be in the third year ; 
though some will remain till the fourth. As they 
blossom they should be marked, so that each bulb 
may be the more readily disposed of according to 
its quality. 
