August 1]. 
THE COTTAGE GABDENEK. 
359 
roots may avail themselves of a richly-prepared soil 
outside their pots, the pots should have plenty of holes 
all over their bottoms, and even round the side, about a 
couple of inches above the bottoms of the pots. 
The crowns, or buds, should be planted as thickly as 
they can be set in the beginning of March; and the 
compost must be of the most generous description. 
About half of an unctions loam, and the other half old 
dung and leaves, almost become a mould, with a little 
silver sand, will grow them well in pots, putting some 
coarser manorial matters over the drainage; and if 
crocks are used, they should be very coarse, in order 
that the fibres may get through with facility. These 
things done, I have to recommend a prepared bed to j 
plunge them in. Nothing would be better than a bed 
of half-decayed leaves, or anything of similar texture, 
even manorial matters. This should be quite above the 
ground level, in order to avoid swamping. As before 
observed,- a situation where they would get only half-a- 
day’s sun would be well, only there must be no trees 
overhead. They would require regular waterings 
through the season, and, when in active growth, liquid- 
manure. 
Now, it will require a second season’s growth to pro¬ 
duce strov;j blooms, although, with every appliance, they I 
may be bloomed the first season, providing the roots j 
were very strong. A second season’s culture, however, 
will amply repay the exercise of patience. In November 
of the first year they had better all be moved, and those 
roots which are through the pots trimmed away; for if 
suffered to proceed unprotected, I fear the check would 
be too great in the second autumn. Being turned 
round, therefore, or replunged, they will be ready for 
another summer’s culture; and about the second week 
in October, or as soon as the foliage begins to assume 
an autumnal tiut, those which are required for very early 
forcing may be unplunged, the side fibres outside the 
pots cut off, and the pots placed in a very sunny corner, 
to hurry their buds to a state of rest. Before the sharp 
frosts set in they may have their decayed foliage cut 
away, and be plunged overhead. 
About the third practice little need be said. The soil 
will, of course, be prepared as advised in the first 
detailed practice, and in planting, the roots may be 
either dibbled thickly in rows, or planted all over the 
bed. In all other respects they may be treated as the 
others ; and at the end of the second summer they will 
be fit for forcing. The buds intended for selecting from 
must be taken up in the beginning of November, and 
the roots sorted carefully—all the largest crowns being 
reserved for potting. These may be singled out and 
dibbled into any size of pot or box desired, and protected 
as recommended for the others. 
Thus much for culture out-doors. Now a few words 
about the forcing. There is no difficulty in this pro¬ 
cedure if plenty of time be given ; for they would, 
doubtless, blossom much before the usual period, if only 
placed beneath the greenhouse stage ; but to obtain 
good blooms in December and January is altogether 
another affair. To accomplish this, it is necessary to j 
resort to bottom-heat, and I have found from 70° to 75° I 
most congenial. My practice is to plunge them over- j 
head in warm tan or leaves; but care must be taken to 
uncover them as soon as they have sprouted about two 
inches in length, or they will become so weak as not to 
be able to sustain their weight. It is necessary to place | 
a lighter or finer material over their crowns when 
plunged, or the pressure of the leaves or tan will bind 
them down and spoil their character. I always pile up 
a mound of finely-riddled old tan over them, and this 
answers admirably. We sometimes force them in the 
mushroom-house; sometimes in front of a pine pit; 
and, indeed, the structure is quite immaterial, as dark¬ 
ness is essential until they have sprouted a couple of 
inches. Care must be taken, on their first introduction 
to light, that it be done gradually; and it is best to 
place them in a shady part of the greenhouse or other 
structure for awhile, protected equally from cold cur¬ 
rents of air and from sunshine; and they should be 
frequently syringed ; in fact, a rather moist atmosphere 
| is indispensable ; and a temperature from 50° to 60° 
will be amply sufficient until in blossom, when the 
cooler they are kept the finer will the blooms be; the 
longer they will endure; and the higher will be their 
scent. 
When the foliage becomes green, by exposure to light j 
and air, they will be improved by sunshine at an early- 
period ; but as the spring advances little sunshine will j 
be necessary. They will require water liberally whilst j 
in blossom. The freer the circulation of air the higher 
will the scent be ; and I should prefer, at the blooming j 
period, a temperature of from 40° to 55° to a higher one, j 
and they will thus continue much longer in blossom. 
. R. Erring to n. 
BULBS. 
(Continued from junfe 198.) 
HYDEOT/ENIA MELEAGEIS. 
This is one of the most curious flowers belonging to 
the natural order of Irids, and is as easy to grow as 
a Tigridia, to which it is very nearly related, looking 
just as if it were a cross between Tigridia and Eri- 
tillaria, if that were possible, which it is not, the two 
being in two different natural orders. 
The flowers are purple, chiefly spotted with yellow, 
and shaded or marked with grey and violet; one of 
those exquisite pencillings which must be brought close 
to the eye before the real beauty can be seen or appre¬ 
ciated. Dr. Lindley, who named this plant (Fluid 
Band) a few years since, from a triangular band at the 
bottom of the petals, from which honey is secreted, 
goes on to say, that “ the curious watery band which 
glitters as if covered with dew, or as if constructed out 
of broken rock crystal, is one of the most curious I 
know.” The bulb is a native of Mexico, from the 
mountains near the Real del Monte mines, and, there¬ 
fore, is a hardy frame bulb in this country; but the 
right way to treat it is in every respect the same as with 
the common Tigridia, only that it will not stand forcing 
into early growth in the spring like Tigridia. It will 
grow in any good, light, garden soil, and ought to be 
taken up late in October, kept dry all the winter, and 
planted four inches deep any time in March or April, 
and then it flowers in a good long succession in July 
and August, on rigid stems rising eighteen inches high, 
and, if the weather is not too wet at the time, seeds will 
ripen before the end of the season. The colour of this 
flower is mistakenly said to be yellow in our Dictionary ; 
but there is a yellow-llowering kind from Lima, called 
lobata, said to be in our gardens, but 1 know nothing , 
about it. 
HYME N 0 C ALLIS. 
This is one of the most expressive names we have 
among all the bulbs, the literal translation of it being ‘ 
The beautiful union cup. It was a happy idea of the 1 
late Mr. Salisbury, to compare the union of the snow- ! 
white nectarium, or coronet or centre-cup to the bottom 
of this flower, itself equally white and pure, to the i 
union on the hymeneal altar. 
In the last volume, at page 320, I went a little out of j 
the way to question the validity of the genus Ohoretis, 
and showed the very small way it differed from a true 
llymenocallis, but I shall go much farther to-day in 
quest of other branches of the family. The head- 
quarters of Hymenocallis are in the hottest part of the • 
