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SMALL BULBS, ETC. 
lu your October number I saw a communication 
from Mrs. M. L. F. It treated of small bulbs and 
Amaryllis ; which being my specialties I felt like ad¬ 
dressing her, and other flower-lovers on their behalf; 
knowing what lovely acquaintanceship they have 
missed. Through failures we may, by learning the cause 
of them, work our way to success. I give an instance. 
I’ bought the Nerine undulata, and finding it would 
not bloom after the first season, tried different earths, 
different exposures, and for two years put it out in the 
ground, and finally gave it up in despair. Happening 
on an article which said it required complete rest from 
February or March to August, I tried the plan, and 
uow have a bulb in bloom with eleven flowers on the 
stem. The flower is of a rosy lilac pink, and shaped 
like a miniature lily, with narrow fluted petals. It 
is not at all showy, and would reward only those who 
are partial to small and delicate flowers. 
I have had two bulbs called Crinum Amerioauum, 
one bearing white flowers having iu the centre a deli¬ 
cate cup from a half to three-fourths of an inch iu 
length, out of which spring four or five narrow petals 
three to four inches in length. This is a hot or green¬ 
house plant. It grows very large, the flowers resemb¬ 
ling the Paneratiums. The leaves are broad and long, 
and of a bright vivid green, and set close to the stem, 
something like those of the corn. 
The other has leaves set in a similar manner, but 
are broader and of a light yellowish green tint. A 
stem of several inches in height is formed before the 
leaves emerge from it. The flower of tins is also 
white, but is almost cup-shaped, aud, perhaps, three 
inches deep. They are shaded to the centre with an 
exquisite green, and are fragrant. It is very hand¬ 
some, but is (I have found after many trials) not a 
Crinum but an Ismene. It cau be kept dry like a 
Gladiolus in winter, or may be cultivated in pots, of 
which, in time, it will require a very large size, with 
rich earth. It blooms in summer. Toward fall it 
takes its regular rest, and dies down to the ground. 
I knew one lady who kept it out all winter, but it 
afterward perished. Treated as a Gladiolus it does 
well iu the garden. 
The Zephyranthus of which Mrs. M. M. F. writes 
are the Zephyranthus, one variety coining from Vir¬ 
ginia being the Atamasoo, or Fairy Lily. This is 
perfectly hardy The white one I have had has a nar¬ 
row dark green fleshy leaf. It bears a lovely white 
flower with a yellow centre. It is smaller than the 
pink variety and not so much like a Lily. It is an 
evergreen and does not bear dying off. We have not 
tried to winter it out of doors. It does better in pots 
than iu the garden. One pot-full has bloomed for two 
months in succession. The pink variety blooms in 
summer, some ladies I have known keep them dry 
in winter, then iu the spring border their beds with 
them. I know of only one lady who has had them to 
bloom in winter. She said she did this by pinching 
off the ends of the leaves, as it is very common for the 
Amaryllis to lose a leaf or two before blooming, per¬ 
haps this treatment answered instead. We have had 
an eight inch pot of the pink ones to produce fifty 
flowers during the summer. They were left undis¬ 
turbed for two years previous. They require a great 
deal of water when growing and rich loose earth, in 
order to drain the roots well. There is a yellow 
variety that 1 have seen in bloom, it resembles the 
white one in the shape of the blossom. The pink 
variety has long narrow leaves which much resemble 
| those of the Nerine undulata. 
The Ixias and Sparaxis, also Tritomas have proved 
worth the pains I have bestowed upon them. They 
should be planted in August or September and kept 
in a eoolish place as long as possible. If too warm 
the red spider attacks them, and they refuse to bloom; 
the Sparaxis the same. The Tritoma is not quite so ; 
sensitive to heat. They like plenty of light. The fol¬ 
lowing mixture suits them : Three parts loam, two of 
leaf mold, one of sand and one of manure; use the 
finest sand to be had, sea sand is the best, as the 
coarse sands sink to the bottom of the pot and form a 
solid mass too hard for the roots to penetrate. We 
start the Ixias etc., while the weather out of doors is 
warm enough to produce growth, as they are not en¬ 
feebled by the sun’s heat. They like moisture but not 
overwatering. 1 have bloomed the orange, scarlet and 
lilac and white (Isqualeda) Ixias and all with good 
sized flowers and ail pretty. 
The Sparaxis tricolor and versicolor, are exceeding- j 
ly brilliant, and surprise those unacquainted with their 
beauty. The Tritoma we had was orange-color, 
| bearing flowers nearly twice the size of the Ixias, 
when well cultivated. 
The Oxalis should be started in August, in the 
shade. Any one having the beautiful fall blooming 
Oxalis Bovii cannot fail of pleasure in it; but strong 
grower as it is, even it will not reward neglectful or 
unskilful hands. It should be kept moist till the 
leaves start and then watered freely till it is time for it 
to dry off, which is about April or a little earlier. A 
pot of six or eight bulbs will produce a dozen stems 
or more of pink flowers, as large as a medium-sized 
geranium blossom. One gentleman told me he had 
bloomed these in his garden. The Oxalis floribunda 
alba and floribunda rosea are tuberous rooted, and 
should be broken apart when needing division. They 
will bloom part of the winter, and all the summer if 
kept iu partial shade and freely watered. When rest¬ 
ing they appear as if dead. I have heard of a little 
rosy one, which bore three hundred blossoms at a time, 
in one pot, but never knew its name. The lady who 
had it was a skilful amateur. She told me that she 
drained all her flower pots with charcoal, and thought 
it purified the earth. We have used the dust of char¬ 
coal mixed with the soil with excellent effect. We 
have found also that it deepened the scarlet of the 
Amaryllis Johnsonie. The Oxalis versicolor is a little 
beauty, resembling a miniature Morning Glory in shape, 
with delicate fringy-looking foliage. 
The yellow Oxalis is spring-blooming and fragrant. 
It should also be potted iu August. It requires plenty 
of light and heat to bloom it well. It is charming 
when well cultivated. When growing, keep it moist. 
I could give further experience with Amaryllis longi- 
folia (or Crinum Capense which I think is nearer the 
true name,) also Yalotta purpurea, Crinum amabile, 
etc., but fear I have exceeded my limits as correspon¬ 
dent. 
Reading, Pa. 
(Your articles are always welcome, 
the Yalotta. Ed.) 
Anna Geisciom. 
Write about 
MY EXPERIENCE WITH HOUSE PLANTS. 
Year after year I have been unsuccessful with house 
plants. But one day receiving from a friend a home¬ 
made rustic window box, large and deep enough to 
hold a number of pots and plants, thought I would try 
again and plant my pots in the box. I partly filled 
my box with pieces of broken crockery, coal, cinders | 
and sand, sufficient to make it smooth and firm enough 
to rest my pots on. After all my pots were arranged I 
filled up between with good garden soil, covered the 
pots with the same so they could not be seen, making it 
smooth and nice ; planting in the soil between the pots 
Sweet Alyssum, variegated Myrtle, Petunias, etc., at 
each corner, German Ivy, which I trained around the 
box and up the sides and over the windows, banging 
in festoons, a thing of beauty all winter. This box 
was placed in front of a sunny window, and once a 
week I gave the plants a good showering, using a 
small watering pot holding about a quart, with tiffs I 
could give them a good washing off without soiling 
my carpet; a newspaper laid on the floor in front of 
the box catching all the drops of water; occasionally 
while damp, dusting lightly with white hellebore, and 
not an insect was to be seen. Did my flowers bloom 
all winter ? Yes, they were a mass of flowers all 
winter , and the leaves were almost as handsome as the 
flowers, so velvety and green, the marking of the 
Zonales so distinct and bright. Oh, they were so 
beautiful, so much admired, and I so vain, (pardonable 
vanity I hope,) and proud ; for had I not succeeded 
after so many failures, successful just through perse¬ 
verance and a determination to succeed. Early in the 
spring soon after house cleaning commenced, my box 
was moved to the front piazza, many of the plants 
continuing to bloom, it was not only useful but a very 
beautiful ornament. Late in May I removed them 
(my house plants) to the border, and replanted my 
box with such as would live and flourish in partial 
shade. One pot of Cactus (a very large plant) I 
placed in the centre of the box and two small ones at 
each end; the leaves of this plant are very ornament¬ 
al, and hang very graceful over the sides of the 
box. 
My Fuchsias, the tall growing varieties, were planted 
for a background, I also had several variegated leaved 
Geraniums, and other plants of variegated foliage. The 
German Ivy hung in festoons around the sides, and 
trailed and tunned around the legs. I had some doubts 
about my Cacti blooming, supposing it would re¬ 
quire more sun, but it never did so well before; it 
soon began to show buds, and the flowers were as 
large as a coffee cup, and of a brilliant scarlet, they 
were magnificent, and so many of them continuiug to 
bloom two or three months, and to grow all summer. 
This box of plants is not only ornamental, but is a 
constant source of pleasure, a delight all the year and 
to be appreciated must be seen. But your problem is 
not solved. I know it, I said I had never been able to 
solve it, for I have not only seen plants flourishing- 
arid blooming on stands and tables before an east win¬ 
dow, but know they will, and do bloom, having only 
the light and sun from a west window. 1 know also 
that some ladies (charge number two) have no better 
success than I had, and to such especially I would say, 
try my plan of planting house plants in a box. It will 
not require mechanical genius nor much help from 
John to make one, any old box will do if it be large 
and strong enough; nail on four sticks of wood for 
legs, and your box is made ; ornament with moss that 
grows on old wood and fences, there are several kinds, 
they should all be used, the square, ovals and circles, 
ol one tr two kinds, and fill in with the others; stick 
on with glue or paste, the legs also should be covered 
with moss; it is quickly done, and requires but little 
taste or ingenuity. If the saw must be used, be sure 
and call on ‘ John;’ don’t spoil a new dress, nor bruise 
your fingers; learn wisdom from the experience of 
others if you can; better so than buying it too dear. 
Flora. 
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