COMPANION TO THE FLORAL MAGAZINE. 
33 
YALLOTA PURPUREA. 
I have often been surprised that this charming little Amaryllid is not 
more extensively cultivated than it is, the freedom with which it flowers, 
the ease of its culture, and the brilliancy of its blossoms, making it in 
every way a most desirable plant; and as I have grown it for many years, 
and that without any great trouble, I hope I may be the means of in¬ 
ducing some of your readers to grow it also, feeling confident that they 
will not fail to admire it. I therefore give you my method of cultivation, 
which is very simple, but, I may also add, very effective. I have seen 
treatment recommended for it which was quite enough to kill it, and 
which, if it survived, only showed that it was much hardier than even I 
had imagined. 
It is an evergreen bulb rejoicing in moisture, and the remembrance of 
these two facts will be a key to its treatment; it ought then never to be 
dried off, and at certain periods of its growth to be abundantly supplied 
with water. Supposing any one to have procured a bulb even of moderate 
size, I would first of all see that it had a proper-sized pot in which to 
grow, not too large, for a moderate-sized bulb a 32 would be sufficient, 
and if its fleshy roots were to be seen running down the sides of the ball 
of earth, I should then conclude that it was in good growing condition, 
and give it therefore abundance of water ; in fact, from this time until the 
month of September, it may literally stand in water. It will about 
August throw up its flower-stem, bearing from four to twelve blossoms, 
which succeed one another, two or three being generally in bloom at the 
same time, by which means its flowering-season is prolonged ; after it has 
done flowering, less water may be given, but it should still be kept moist, 
and when the flower-stem has dried down, it may then be (such at least 
is my own practice) repotted, and the offsets separated from it. The com¬ 
post that I use is one composed of loam, peat, and old manure, in about 
equal portions, with the addition of some silver-sand; the ball is slightly 
reduced, and a pot a size larger used ; the offsets, which are produced in 
great abundance, may be potted in small pots, placing them round the 
edge; they will soon root, and a good stock may in a few years be ob¬ 
tained. When it is remembered that it comes into flower in the earlv 
«/ 
part of the autumn, when the greenhouse has been denuded of most of 
its summer beauties, and when Fuchsias and Balsams, and a few other 
things form the main attraction of the house, a flower like this, so showy 
and brilliant, assuredly will be found a great acquisition, and my only 
wonder is that I do not see it oftener grown. I remember in one of the 
earlier numbers of this Magazine, the Editor anticipating some time when 
various Cape bulbs and Orchids might be grown around the borders of 
artificial w^ater. I have a project in view of planting several of this showy 
Amaryllid round a small tank in a fernery, where it would be quite at 
home, and would be very ornamental. Ltly. 
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