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THE FLORISTS JOURNAL. 
duction ; bearing bulbs in the axils of the leaves, and even in the 
capsules. 
Many plants have been described as bulbous, which are really 
not so : such as the crocus, gladiolus, orchis, &c., were usually 
called bulbs instead of tubers, the difference of which has been 
already alluded to ; and though these misnomers do not affect 
the culture, it is well, in speaking of them, to call them by their 
right titles. 
There is another description of under-ground stem, which is 
neither a bulb nor a tuber; and called by botanists a cormus. 
This is exemplified in the iris, and several other plants both 
native and exotic. 
Some bulbs are much larger than others ; the polyanthus 
narcissus, for instance, has bulbs constantly larger than those of 
the tulip ; and the cause, on dissection, appears to be, that the 
latter has seldom more than one of its divisions advancing to 
perfection at the same time, whereas the P. narcissus has con¬ 
stantly three or four of its divisions all progressing towards 
flowering at the same time, though in different stages of advance¬ 
ment. 
Some bulbs, as the amaryllis, Guernsey lily, &c. present their 
flowers before their leaves ; and a question has arisen, namely, 
do the leaves precede or follow the blossom ? The general 
opinion is that the flowers are nourished and even fabricated by 
the leaves ; and hence it has been advised in the case of the 
Guernsey lily, in order to enable the bulb to bloom every year, 
to keep the bulbs in glass frames till the leaves are perfectly 
matured, and which, it is said, will ensure a vigorous bloom in 
the next year. Such management is quite rational; because, if 
any one member of a plant be seriously injured or checked in its 
growth, or in the exercise of its functions, all the other members 
must suffer more or less. 
March 5, 1841. 
ON THE CULTURE OF WILD FLOWERS AND PLANTS, 
This is a subject, to the consideration of which we proceed 
with no small degree of hesitation and difficulty ; and what we at 
present write must be regarded rather as an inducement to others 
