480 
THE COTTAGE GAKDENER. 
MAncii 24. 
scape is one-(lowcrccl, the flower a grecnisli, or pale 
yellow, but rather baurtsome in its way. 
HAniiANTiiDS GRACii.iFonus and Bootheanus. —Two 
very handsome varieties, ])articularly the latter, which 
first flowered with Sir Charles Lemon, to whom it was 
sent from Maldonado, by Lieut. J. Sulivan, of the 
Beagle. Bulb black, and of the size of a pigeon’s egg; 
the leaves very slender and wavy; light rosy flowers, 
produced singly on the scape. 
Habtianthds intermedius.— Supposed, at the time it 
was first described (1827), to be intermediate between 
nitila and advena; the first a Hippenster, and the 
second as above. This species has much of the aspect 
of some small Hippeaster, which, after going through the 
furnace of scientific investigation for a quarter-ofa- 
century, I should not be at all surprised to hear would 
cross with a true Hippeaster, and if so, my views about 
Gretna Green tell in two very different ways ; first, as 
the point dividing two different races; and the next, as 
the very spot where two of them might go together, at 
a push, notwithstanding all our private marks. A dark 
bulb, native of Brazil, with bright green narrow leaves, 
and wide open flowers of a dull red colour, having a 
greenish-yellow eye or bottom; apparently, a, Hippeaster, ! 
to all intents and purposes. I 
Harranthus Ker.mesinus, alias Amaryllis Kerme- ’ 
sina. — One of the very gayest and prettiest flowers, j 
claiming kindred with Amaryllis, who was a pretty ! 
country girl herself, and who.se name was immortalized 1 
by Virgil. The bulb is dark brown, not bigger than a '' 
pigeon’s egg ; leaves scarcely a quarter-of-an-inch wide, ' 
and hardly a foot long; a sea-green scape, carrying four j 
large deep crimson flowers, of the most vivid tint, and i 
ribbed at the bottom with yellow. A south Brazilian 
bulb of exquisite beauty. It flowered first with Sir 
Charles Lemon, from whom it was figured in the “ Bota¬ 
nical Register,” vol. xix., plate 1C.38. 
Habrantiios phycelloides. —Another very charming 
bulb; a native of Chili, with a very different-looking 
flower from the usual run in this genus. Six of them 
form a brilliant star spread out, as they are, on long 
footstalks, or peduncles, from the top of the scape; the 
opening of the flower, which is more than two inches 
across, is of the brightest shining scarlet, like the 
Phycella ignea; the bottom of the flower, which is a 
short tube, is a delicate soft yellow. When crosses 
between Gyrtanthi and Valotta become multiplied some 
of them will look much after the likeness of this beau¬ 
tiful flower. The bulb is large and black, with a very 
short neck; leaves milky-green, blunt, and about half- ! 
an-inch wide. It is, certainly, a puzzle to the most 
learned, to know how to deal with, and to classify the 
interminable shades of variations that are constantly 
met with among bulbs, natives of the temperate zones 
of the earth; and here is a proof, in this very flower 
being made into a Hahranth. 
Harranthus pratensis, which was met with by Poep- 
ping and Zuillet, in south Chili, growing in the meadows 
of Antuco, with Alstrumerias, and which they said had 
a scarlet flower with a yellow bottom. I know nothing 
of it besides; Yvhether it was introduced to this country 
I know not. McRae, one of the first collectors sent out 
by the Horticultural Society, sent home a dried specimen 
from Conception, Chili, a very beautiful purple Hahran- 
thus, now called speciosits. I know nothing more of 
this either. Pmnilis and roseus are the same; and a 
very dwarf, pretty little bulb. Spathaceus is a variety 
of Augustus, whicli I left out till I had the two together. 
This is well represented in the “Botanical Magazine,” 
2(!39, with large purple flowers, edging into the charac¬ 
ter of a Hippeaster. 
I Harranthus versicolor. —This is one of the small 
flowered ones, as roseus and Andersonii, and worth the 
whole of them put together. The flower is chiefly white 
tipped with red on the segments, and with bright red 
streaks at the bottom ; the scape, the envelope (spathe), 
and the flower-bud are all of one colour—a rosy-pink; 
but when the flower opens the parts take to. the usual 
colour; there is only one flower on a scape. Andersonii 
is the next to this, and is dull compared with it and 
roseus. The colour is a mixture of dull red and brown ; 
but there are five or six varieties, all from Buenos Ayres; 
and all but hardy here, flowering all the summer; and 
all the dwarf species ought to be set thick in a jmteh, 
as there is but one flower on each scape. 
Habranthus robustus was very common about 
London twenty years back. It was the largest flower 
of all the single-flowered ones; the colour a purplish-rose; 
and as fast as one flower opened the seed-pod from a 
former one was ready to gape open, full of black seeds, 
which ripened every year. There are several other 
kinds, and some of them very pretty, mentioned by 
travellers, and one is beautifully spotted on a light 
ground, very much like a flower of Alstromeria pere- 
grina. This is called punctatus. It is a Chilian species, 
sent by Reynold to Sir AV. J. Hooker. It has its limb 
very prettily dotted, and is of a rosy colour. 
Culture .—Every one of those beautiful bulbs would 
flower out-of-doors in this country. They all flower 
from the end of summer, and some of them late in 
the autumn, according to the time the diffei'ent kinds 
go to rest. The whole of them keep green all the 
winter, and dislike damp and confinement. Tliey rest 
at different periods from April to July, and after awhile 
push up their flowers before the leaves. They delight 
in fresh sandy loam of loose texture, and the border, or 
pot, cannot be too well drained for them. They are 
best in borders in front of plant houses; and, as they 
are green all winter, they must have glass over them ; 
but the bulbs should only be just covered, and be set in 
silver sand. If any of them should cross with Hip- 
j)eastrum the seedlings would inherit the hardihood of 
this family, and some would give up their winter 
growth, and some, perhaps, would assume their full 
foliage before the time of flowering—three points of 
very essential improvement. D. Beaton. 
{To be continued.) 
HOTBEDS. 
These, however humble, are generally the first at¬ 
tempts at the aristocratic in gardening. It has been 
my fortune to see them very well managed by artisans, 
and, in some cases, even by labourers. In almost every 
case the possessors rose intellectually and morally in 
proportion to their advanced aspirations in gardening 
pursuits. I have often been surprised that our farming 
friends did not take more advantage of tlie means within 
their reach. Having all the material, except boxes and 
glass, nothing but a little labour would be necessary to 
furnish them with many luxuries in the way of vege¬ 
tables, fruits, and flowers. Even a rough-made dung- 
heap would supply them with much, provided they 
covered the dung with earth, and used one of their 
waggon tarpaulins as a covering at night. 
The drawback to their use is the frequent misfortune 
that early excess of steam, want of air, &c., dash well- 
grounded hopes. Hotbeds thus become associated with 
the mysterious and the never-ceasing pains-taking; 
while, if set about by the middle or end of March, 
mystery and labour alike are reduced to a minimum. 
The making and treatment of these have frequently 
been referred to, sometimes by myself, and oftencr by 
ilessrs. Errington and Robson. Turning back will 
present full instructions. But as many with their one 
small greenhouse wish to bring forward many little 
1 things for its adornment, and for filling the centre and 
