November 25. 
THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. 
141 
and then putting in an inch or two inches of sand, 
then the bulb, after that by filling over tlie bulb, and 
all up the bole to the surface of the bed or border, with 
more sand, all the bad conseipiences of dibber-planting 
arc got rid of, and a freer })assage for the leaves througli 
the column of sand is provided, and the sand, besides 
lying less heavily over the bulb, is not so aj)t to injure it 
as the soil is; besides, the wire-worms, and otliergrubs, 
which delight in the mischief they do to bulbs, do not 
like to work among sand. 1 suppose sharp silver or 
river sand tickles them too much to bo pleasant. Add to 
this, that if the mark-stick or tally over the bulb is lost, 
you luivc only to scrape a little on the surface till you 
come to the top of the sand column, and then you are 
sure of the place. 
Almost all greenhouse bulbs, particularly those of 
them which do not grow actively during our winter, 
may bo grown in a border by the side of a wall, or other 
building, if they are planted six inches deep, and a 
slight protection is given from heavy rains and frost. 
A very small bulb will be able to push u]> its leaves six 
inches through a column of sand; and I have seen a 
Crocus, that was accidentally buried two feet decj) in 
trcuching a border, come up as vigorously in the leaf as 
if it were only four inches tlecp ; and 1 have often seen 
the Crocus llower when the tube of the flower must have 
been a foot long, owing to the dei)th of the covering 
over tlie bulbs. On the whole, therefore, 1 shall lay it 
down as a rule, that, all bidlis, whether hardy or other¬ 
wise, that grow to the si/e of an ordinary Crocus, may 
he ]>Jaiitcd six inches deep, if sand is ])laced all round 
tliem, and straight over tlieiri to the surface; and tliat 
four inches deep is the safest for such bulbs as do not 
grow to the size of a common Crocus ; and that without 
sand, or very sandy soil, these dci)ths are too much, 
although they may not show the bad effects for the first 
few years after planting. 
i am rather ambitious that these papers on Bulbs 
should be us complete and useful as our jirescnt know¬ 
ledge would warrant us to expect; therefore, if 1 omit 
anything, or say things that a reader does not compre¬ 
hend—or if he knows, from actual experience, a better 
way than I shall point out—pray let him write directly, 
as soon as he reads each paper, and put what he means 
in as few words as possible. 
Agapantkus unihellatns, alhhlus, and variegatiis, are 
three forms of the same beautiful plant—the blue African 
Lily. Some people believe that there are two more 
forms of it under cultivation, one much taller, and 
another considerably loss tlian the common one. 1 
cannot decide the point; but I believe the supposed 
ditlbrence arose from different modes of treatment—at 
least, 1 never saw any form of the blue one which could 
not bo referred to the common sort. Alhklus is not 
such a strong grower as umhellatus, and the flowers ai’e 
of a bluish-white colour. It is a desirable variety, and 
so is the variegated one. There arc no other bulbs that 
1 am acquainted with, except some of the Asiatic great 
Ciinums, which delight so much in our very strongest 
loams, fertilised by the richest manures, as the blue 
African Idly; and it will bloom and look green in a 
pot with soil that would stint an Aloe, provided abun¬ 
dance of water is given. I have known it to look well 
with the roots immersed in w'ater for four months during 
the summer. It seeds freely with some gardeners, but 
is seldom increased that way, as it stoles, or makes side 
suckers so freely. 
The most singular thing that I know of in the whole 
order of bulbs is, that this, a true evergreen, will flower 
yearly, for many years in succession, out in the open 
ground, after the leaves are destroyed every winter by 
frost; but of the fact itself, I am quite sure, 1 never 
knew a frost mider 7° injure the leaves, while 10° or 
12° of frost will kill them outright. It makes a bold, 
fine-looking bed, and it is the most useful pot-plant we 
have to stand out in summer about the doors, or accom¬ 
panying architectural works, or in terrace-gardens, as the 
leaves take no hurt with any wind, and the flower-stems 
are so stiff that a gale lias no effect on them. It can be 
kept over the winter in pots, witli less light and with 
liarder treatment than any other bulb, and very little 
water will do for it from November to March. March 
or April is the best time to divide it for increase; but it 
may he divided any day from that time to October, if not 
all the year round. It is necessary to use a sharji spade 
for dividing it, for the roots are strong and much inter¬ 
laced among each other. A small portion of roots will 
do with each division, and, in potting them, use strong, 
stiff loam and very rotten dung, leaving more room for 
watering than is usual with other plants, as it requires 
large supplies of water during the summer. 
Agapantkus edbijtorus is only a variety of tlie former, 
and of much less strength. It requires lighter soil, and 
more care in winter, but is not cultivated nearly so much 
as it deserves. There can be no question about getting 
new and useful varieties if the jiollen of the blue one 
were apjilied to the flowers of this; but 1 never exjieri- 
mented on this family, and cannot say if this will ever 
seed. 
Agapantkus variegatiis also is scarce; but now that a 
taste for variegated plants is on the rise it will be more 
run after. Neither of the varieties make such free 
growth, or produce suckers like the old species; and 
both of them require lighter soil, and more careful 
treatment than the old species. 1 never heard if either 
could be trusted out-of doors in w-inter; jirobahly not. 
They belong to a section of the order Idly worts, named 
after llemerocallis, the day lily. The others best known 
of this section are the sweet tube rose, the beautiful 
Blund/ordias, the splendid Tritomas, and the rigid New 
Zealand Flax Phoniiiiiiu tenax. 
At.BucA.— This is a genus of South African Lily worts, 
belonging to the section of Squills (Scillacem), a section 
which abounds in beautiful bulbs, all of which cast 
their leaves when going to rest. The species of 
Alhuca arc numerous, and very ill defined; many of 
them come here with assortments of “ Cape bulbs,” but 
they are soon lost. The bulbs are generally small, 
light-coloured, and very tender-skinned; and the least 
mishap causes them to rot, as it does the Lackcnalias, I 
from the same country. Some of them are the very 
smallest bulbs at the Cape, and almost defy our attempts 
at growing them for any length of time; and others 
throw up stout flower-stalks, two or more feet high, with 
a crowd of little white flowers on the top. The most of 
them have white, or creamy-yellow flowers; but the 
whole family, like the Alliums, are more for botanic j 
gardens than for general culture, and, what is singular, ! 
I believe they all dislike peat. Very sandy loam seems 
more favourable to them. I lost nine kinds of them in 
' two years, by putting them in a peat bed, inside a cold | 
frame. They came direct from the Cape in May, and j 
! that may have caused the failure, as all of them begin I 
to grow late in the autumn. I 
\ We mentioned seventeen species of them in the Die- i 
tionary, but 1 much doubt if half that number could be 
I bought in the trade. Alhuca major, fragrans, aurea, 
and viridijiora, would give a good representation of the 
genus; but fragrans is very ticklish to keep. Pot-culture 
would suit them best; and the moment the leaves 
turn yellow, the bulbs should be turned out of the 
pots, and put on a shelf to dry in the sun for a few j 
days, and then to be laid by in silver sand till the end | 
of October. At potting-time, place sand round the : 
bulbs, and do not water them till the leaves appear. ' 
Alstromeria, not Alstromaria, as some spell it. — As ! 
far as we know, all the species of this genus of fine 
plants have tuberous or fascicled roots. All of them in I 
