ACHIMENES. 
275 
among them to keep them from the light, and placed in a mode¬ 
rate hot-bed, where they speedily begin to grow, or at least, all 
that have sufficient vitality; this preliminary starting is to he 
preferred to immediate potting, because it gives an opportunity 
to remove dead or decaying roots, and in the subsequent opera¬ 
tion of potting, none but the actually advancing bulbs need be 
placed in the soil, and those just where they will be required 
with the certainty of having the exact number of stems desired 
in each group. It has been found also advisable to grow them 
in deep pans rather than in pots, lest from too great a supply of 
food the future plants should, as these and many others will, in¬ 
stead of forming flowers, seek to extend themselves in some other 
way; many of the species will, when growing in rich soil, or on 
the receipt of too much water, form a number of small bulbs 
upon their stems in the place of flowers, and thus disappoint the 
expectations of the cultivator, who has erred in being too kind. 
The soil most conducive to the desired blooming state in the 
plants is a mixture of fibrous peat, thoroughly decayed leaf- 
mould, and silver sand in equal quantities; the pans should be 
well drained with potsherds covered with moss, or the most 
fibrous portion of the compost, and after being filled with the 
soil, the plants should be inserted at a distance of about three 
inches from each other for the dwarf kinds, and nearly double 
the distance for the stronger growing species ; the space recom¬ 
mended may at first appear somewhat limited, but all of them 
have a much finer appearance in dense masses than when seen 
separate ; and we have found they do equally as well when thus 
close, with the advantage of a greater number of flowers conse¬ 
quent on the additional plants and the reduction in the amount 
of aliment. In the process of planting, the bulbs should be co¬ 
vered with about an inch of the mould, and as soon as they are 
done, a moderate hot-bed or a shelf in the stove should receive 
them ; the time for potting must be determined by that at which 
the flowers are desired, and by a little management in this respect, 
a succession of blooming plants may be kept up from May till 
the following October. One of the species figured, A. picta, 
may indeed be easily had to flower throughout the year, and by 
potting late, say about Midsummer, it forms a most beautiful ob¬ 
ject in the stove throughout the winter. 
