March 20, 1800. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
283 
T hose who are fortunate in possessing a well-established healthy 
stock of Eucharis grandiflora ought to he able to flower these 
sibout three times in a year, and to sell the greater portion of the 
flowers at a highly remunerative price. Being, perhaps, among the 
most effective that can be used in wreaths and crosses, and of good 
■service in bouquet making, there is always a good demand for these 
flowers. Seeing, also, that they succeed admirably in a house the 
roof of which is covered with Stephanotis, shade of some kind 
being in fact absolutely necessary during hot bright weather, there 
is all the more reason to attempt their culture on a somewhat 
■extensive scale, though, unfortunately, failures will and do very 
frequently occur. The mite is the great bugbear in Eucharis 
-culture, but even this is blamed for more failures than in strict 
justice ought to be attributed to it. In my humble opinion not a 
few failures might be traced to mealy bug. No good gardener can 
long tolerate the appearance of bug-infested plants, but too often 
the remedy is the commencement of the decadence of the stock of 
bulbs. The fleshy leaves of the Eucharis are most susceptible of 
injury from any kind of insecticide used sufficiently strong to 
•destroy even a few bugs, and the rapid decay of the leaves 
is accompanied by an equally bad collapse at the roots. Whether 
or not the mite were present when the plants were in full 
vigour, it is very certain they could not make any headway till 
the plants are much weakened from other causes. Once it has 
become necessary to shake out and repot Eucharises, or other plants 
of a somewhat similar nature, there is no mistake about the 
capability of the mite to retard progress and improvement. We 
have completely skinned and soaked infested bulbs for twenty-four 
hours in Gishurst compound and other strong insect-destroying 
concoctions without apparently destroying the mite, and the remedy 
does not lie in that direction. 
All who can successfully defy either the mite or mealy bug 
rarely if ever fail to grow Eucharises in a most profitable manner, 
and it will, therefore, be understood my remedy for these, and 
which takes the form of preventive measures, is perhaps the best 
method of culture in any case. No greater mistake can well be 
made than to be constantly pulling pots of bulbs to pieces, this 
being a sure means of preventing free flowering, and, in addition, 
simply invites an attack of mites. Supposing it is desirable to 
cither increase the stock, to renovate unhealthy bulbs, or to get 
quite rid of mealy bug, the best course to pursue is that indicated 
by Mr. H. Porter (page 140)—that is to say, a fresh start should 
be made'with bulbs only, the leaves being cut clean away. I first 
saw this plan successfully adopted by a friend who wished to 
thoroughly clear his plants from mealy bug, and I have since tried 
it for the mite. At the present time I have whole boxes of bulbs 
and many in small pots that were actually thrown away as being 
worthless, all attempts to rid them of the mite having failed. It 
would appear a hard matter to kill them, as after all their rough 
usage they are rooting strongly, and forming healthy foliage. 
Another instance has come under my notice where numbers of 
Eucharis bulbs were thrown away into a wood near the garden. 
They remained there all one winter, then commenced growing 
afresh, and all were potted again with the best of results. A box 
of mite-infested bulbs I once sent to a market grower who was con¬ 
vinced he could destroy the mite were, from a cause which need not 
No. 508. —VoL. XX., Thied Series. 
be gone into, not delivered for two months. Quite recently I 
heard that they are now in a very healthy condition, the mite, if 
present, being quite harmless. 
Where many err is in placing several bulbs previously in an 
unhealthy state in one large pot. This may answer well where no 
mite exists, but rarely in the case of those in a comparatively 
weakly state. Our plan, and which we have tried with good results, 
is to place either one large or three smaller leafless bulbs in a 4-inch 
pot, plunging all in a fairly brisk bottom heat. Roots and leaves 
are formed simultaneously, and at this time of year quickly, the 
pots are soon well filled with roots. Before they become badly 
root-bound they are shifted into 6 -inch pots, and if the growth 
made is extra strong yet another shift may be given in the autumn. 
Newly disturbed bulbs are apt to flower soon after they are repotted; 
but this has a most weakening effect, and the flower head should 
be pinched off as soon as seen. Kept in a brisk stove heat, not too 
near the hot-water pipes, though not necessarily plunged in fer¬ 
menting material, carefully shaded from bright sunshine, fre¬ 
quently syringed and not over-watered, well-established Eucharises 
generally ought to grow strongly and defy the mite. The single 
bulbs will increase in size, and also form side shoots, a strong pot 
being eventually obtained. In each and every case an unlimited 
root run is liable to end in the loss of roots and the ruination of 
bulbs. The more crowded the pots are with roots the less likely 
are the plants to fail to flower frequently or to succumb to the mite. 
Some of the most profitable pots in the country are not disturbed 
or repotted in any way till they actually burst the pots they are 
in, numbers of the largest specimens remaining in the same pots 
five years and upwards. A light loam with plenty of fibre in it 
best suits Eucharises, any in which clay abounds being objection¬ 
able. To three parts of the former add one of good leaf soil and 
coarse sand freely. If the loam available is of a heavy close nature 
burnt loam and charcoal must be liberally added to the compost, 
as it is of the greatest importance that the soil remain sweet and 
porous. It is almost needless to add that the pots should be clean 
and carefully drained. 
As before pointed out, well established specimen Eucharises will 
flower two or three times in a year, the flowering period being to a 
certain extent regulated by the cultivator. Where many plants are 
grown it is possible to have flowers, few or many, all the year 
round, but as a rule they ought, as much as possible, to be most 
abundant at Christmas, Easter, and other Church festivals, this 
being when there is a great demand for them. While the plants are 
growing strongly the heat should be kept up, but when the young 
leaves are fully grown the most advanced may be transferred 
to a somewhat cooler house, the temperature ranging say from 
about 55° by night to 65° in the daytime, or a drop of about 10° 
all round. No drying off ought ever to be practised, but while 
resting rather less water will be needed. A rest of from six weeks 
to two months is sufficient, and all that is then needed is sudden 
excitement or a considerable increase in temperature to start them 
flowering freely, and probably in less than a month. During the 
flowering and growing period weak and clear soot water may be 
given frequently with advantage, but ought to be discontinued 
while the plants are resting. Soot is rightly considered a good 
deterrent of the mite, but it is sometimes of a somewhat fiery 
nature, and must not be used recklessly. 
Prices for Eucharis blooms do not vary so much as might 
be expected, as we have frequently sold them in June and 
July to better advantage than in the spring and autumn 
months, Eastertide excepted. A fair average would be 3s. per 
dozen (thirteen ought always to be sent), but if they can be 
consigned in moderate quantities direct to florists the average 
would be nearer 43 . The lowest price we have booked is 2s. 6 d., 
and the highest 63 . per dozen. Seeing that a strong pot of 
bulbs will annually produce not less than thirty spikes, and not 
unfrequently double that number, from four to six flowers being 
No. 21G4,—VoL. LXXXII., Old Sebiks. 
