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BE Heb aint ' , : ‘ Lobes TU LIL ype reve vereteceyeie®e: , ’ TT) j Cee eile be} Ma i ’ 7 - ” . ; eiet ” er Renin 1 , y pe the >) f aele rintapelerade begeg : : - Fbetade iajeianes ae 4 je hete : \* ‘ ee) peice tts retLEL Eas | Md PUTT itd tektites \ * Beets cisisleviele sete i yolaled joel aye e ee g deen sae geale cpoyedeeete the Z———~ f Se < 1800 J am\\\ : N iN S S00: eet | SAAN HS an ine (eu Lal A TREATISE ON ARDY AND LENDER AND LUBE RS “EDWARD SPRAGUE RA ae | Author of “ Flowers for us Parlor and Garden, Z ‘ ce Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1866, by EDWARD SPRAGUE RAND, Jr, In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. @Y drausiler troy, Pat, Office Lik, deri i914. STEREOTYPED BY C. J. Peters & Son, 13 Washington St., Boston. PRESSWORK BY JOHN WILSON & Son. PDR WittisM RR. LAwernen, @ THIS VOLUME IS CORDIALLY INSCRIBED. of INTRODUCTION. Tue plants of which the present volume treats are among the most beautiful in the floral kingdom. While comparatively few are indigenous to Northern climes, and many are natives of the torrid zone, most of them may be grown with but a slight outlay ; and the garden, frame, and greenhouse may be gay at every season of the year with their gorgeous blossoms. Many of them are also admirably suited for window- culture, and, though generally not ornamental in foli- age, flower freely in the parlor, and stand well the heat of furnaces, and the poisonous gas which impreg- nates the air wherever gas is used for lighting. Dur- ing their period of growth, which isthe season at which they are generally in the parlor, they will bear any quantity of water; and therefore one of the great mistakes in parlor-culture — over-watering — cannot be committed. Most of those ordinarily grown in the parlor bloom 65 6 INTRODUCTION. in winter, and, in summer, need only to be dried off in a cellar or on a closet-shelf. They are subject to few diseases, and insects seldom 3 attack them. All these are great recommendations ; and when we add that the blossoms are not only very showy, but, in many species, also delightfully fra- grant, we have said enough to cause them to be gen- erally cultivated. In the garden, also, they play an important part; beginning to bloom with the early snowdrop, which looks out with timid eyes upon the storms of Feb- ruary; and ending only with the adventurous col- ehicum, which, heedless of fading leaves and frowning skies, thrusts up its delicate blossoms of purple or white in the short November Be as if to bid a fare- well to the dying year. The culture of bulbs is yet in its infancy. As a class, these plants are every year attracting more attention; and the time is not far distant when the skill of the hybridist and the researches of collect- ors will greatly increase our number of species and varieties. | If we may take the hyacinth for an instance, where, from a single original species, all the numberless forms now in cultivation have been derived, or, what INTRODUCTION. 7 are, perhaps, better examples, the amaryllis and gladiolus, where a few species have produced count- less varieties, most of which excel any of the parents in beauty, we see how wide a field is open; while, at the same time, it is impossible to predict the result, or toimagine the improvements, which the future may witness, or the beauty which may be born under the skilful application of systematic culture. Perhaps the most remarkable discovery in this class of plants within the last few years is the golden-banded lily (Lilium auratum), the beauty of which it would be difficult to describe; but we see no reason to doubt that future explorations may give us equally valuable additions, though perhaps not in the lily family. This same lily family offers a most tempting opportunity for hybridization, both from the facility with which it may be performed, and the beauty of the subjects; and in this field we may hope for great results in the future. We must also bear in mind that many of the regions most prolific in bulbs are, as yet, imperfectly explored by botanists, and that scientific research may lead to great developments. South Africa has probably many valuable discov- eries yet to yield, and the rich fields of California and 8 INTRODUCTION. the Pacific coast are prolific of other treasures than golden ore. The want of a volume on this subject has long been — felt by culturists. The elaborate work of Mrs. Lou- don was useful in its day, though wanting in practical directions; but it has long been out of print, and its cost would render it inaccessible to the masses. The learned treatises of Herbert can never be excelled in elaboration of detail; but they are too scientific for the popular mind, and only cover a small portion of the immense field upon which instruction is required. It is to meet this want that the present volume has been undertaken. Its aim is to give a book of popular culture, botanically correct as far as the science of botany is within its scope, but generally adapted to popular use, and intelligible to the large class who are ardent culturists, but have little time for the study of botany; to make the culture of flowers a necessity, feeling that the inquiring mind will turn from the growing plant to study how it grows. This volume is the third of a series of works on popular gardening; of which, two, “Flowers for the Parlor and Garden,” and “Garden Flowers,” are al- ready before the public. A volume of “Orchid Culture” INTRODUCTION. 9 is already in press; and the other volumes on “ Green- house Flowers,” “ Wild Flowers,” and “Ferns, Lich- ens, and Mosses,” are in preparation. The whole, when completed, will form a library of practical culture, which the author trusts may be the means of advancing the cause of floriculture, and prove a practical benefit to horticultural science. Many of the bulbs described as tender, and for which greenhouse treatment is directed, may prove hardy in the Middle States, and undoubtedly .would in all States south of the latitude of Washington. The volume is written for the latitude of Massachu- setts, and due allowance must be made by readers living either North or South. As we have often had occasion to observe, the proper application of the word “hardy” is a source of great difficulty to the horticultural writer, as the hardiness of a plant is reg- ulated by so many circumstances other than mere temperature. In many cases, the fact can only be determined by experiment, and each must be his own judge. A volume can lay down only general rules, to which each reader may, perchance, find his own exceptions. There is no prettier culture than that of bulbs. To watch the foliage and flower gradually developing 10 INTRODUCTION. from the bulb is pleasing and instructive, and can- not fail to direct the thinking mind to the Author of all, who, in so many diverse and yet ever-beautiful and wondrous ways, has caused the earth to bring forth abundantly all that can minister to the wants or the gratification of man. | GLEN RIDGE, August, 1866, € OME E NTS. PAGE WHAT ARE BULBS? , F : 5 - Fs é A : 5 - Sneed l7/ LT. GENERAL RULES OF CULTURE : : , . e ° - ; - 26 LTT. PREPARATION OF SOIL.— APPLICATION OF MANURE . 0 : qh RS IV. BULB CASES. — GROWTH OF BULBS IN WARDIAN CASES. — IN WATER. —IN VEGETABLES.—IN Moss.—IN SAND.—CROCUS-POTS . - 42 V. DISEASES AND INSECTS. — PREMATURE FLOWERING. — TARDY FLOWERING. — RED SPIDER. — GREEN-FLY. — MEALY BuG. — ScaLE.— MILDEW. — RoT - : - Sar ts : . C . or ‘ é 11 12 ~ CONTENTS. VI. PAGE THE HYACINTH. — SCILLA.— URGINEA.—MYOGALUM.—NARCISSUS. 64 VIZ. THE SNOWDROP. — THE LEUCOJUM. — THE CROCUS e e e ols WAGE THE TULIP.—THE [RIS.— THE MorrA.—THE HERBERTIA. — THE CYPELLA.—THE PHALOCALLIS. — THE VIEUSSEUXIA . ‘ - 109 LX. THE RANUNCULUS AND THE ANEMONE F . e e e e aoe OX THE OXALIS. — THE IXIA.— THE BABIANA. — THE SPARAXIS. — THE IPRETONIA=— THE GEISSORHIZA. 0. | eh oe eT eT Af, THE LILY o* e e e e © e e e e e e e e 159 DOW THE FRITTELARIA.—THE FERRARIA.—THE ALLIUM.— THE ORNI- THOGALUM e e e e e ° s e e e . e e 170 CONTENTS. Ls ALT! PAGE THE GLADIOLUS.—THE TIGRIDIA.— THE WATSONIA.—THE SYN- NOTIA. — THE ANOMATHEGCA. — THE ANTHOLYZA.— THE RIGI- DELLA . 0 = 5 5 A : : 4 ° 4 C 5 . 179 DOLE THe AMARYLLIS.— THE HIPPEASTRUM. — THE SPREKELIA. — THE VALLOTA.—THE LYCORIS. — THE PYROLIRION. — THE NERINE, — THE ZEPHYRANTHES . : ° f ° 0 - s AP 200 Del THE TUBEROSE.— THE CYCLAMEN. — THE DAHLIA.—THE COMME- LINA.— THE SALVIA.— THE ASCLEPIAS.—- THE APIOS . 5 2S) XVI. THE ERYTHRONIUM. — THE BULBOCODIUM. — THE CoOLCHICUM. — THE ERANTHES. — THE TROP.ZOLUM. — THE OPERANTHUS. — THE MUS- CARI. — THE LACHENALIA. — THE STERNBERGIA : 6 5 » 2930 AVI. THE ARUM.— THE CALOCASIA.— THE ERYTHRINA.— THE CANNA. — THE DICENTRA.— THE SANGUINARIA. — THE RICHARDIA. — THE TRILLIUM s 5 A 2 ‘ 5 ‘ F : - ° . 2 238 A VIII. THE CALADIUM.— THE CRINUM.— THE CLIVEA.— THE EUCHARIS.— THE GRIFFINIA.— THE CYRTANTHUS. — THE H#MANTHUS. — THE BRUNSVIGIA.— THE EUCOMIS é : 5 s C 5 A . 248 14 CONTENTS. OLE THE ACHIMENES.— THE GLOXINIA.—THE GESNERA 6 ene AX, THE PENTLANDIA. — THE HOMERIA. — THE HEXAGLOTTIS. — THE TRICHONEMA.— THE GALAXIA.— THE LAPEYROUSIA.— THE HEs- PERANTHA. — THE WACHENDORFIA. — THE HyYpoxis. — THE CoOoOPERIA. — THE HAYLOCKIA. — THE ANDROCYMBIUM. — THE BLANDFORDIA. — THE BRAVOA. — THE CALOSCORDUM. — THE MILLA.—THE ELISENA.—THE ISMENE.— THE PANCRATIUM.— THE CARPODETES.—THE DAUBENYA.— THE CARPOLYSA.— THE HABRANTHUS. — THE IXIOLIRION. — THE PHYCELLA. — THE CHLORETIS. — THE STRUMARIA. — THE COBURGIA. — THE GASTRO- NEMA.— THE CHLIDANTHUS. — THE URCEOLINA.— THE STENO- MESSON. — THE FourCROYA. — THE EUCROSIA. — THE CALOS- TEMMA. — THE KURYCLES. — THE GLORIOSA.— THE HYDROTANIA. — THE HYMENOCALLIS. — THE GETHYLLIS. — THE LIDEBOURIA. — THE VELTHEIMIA.— THE CYANELLA.— THE RHINOPETALUM. — THE LIBERTIA. — THE PH#DRANASSA.— THE BRODIZA. — THE MASSONIA. — THE PUSCHKINIA.— THE CALIPRORA.— THE CAMAS- s14.—THE MELANTHIUM.— THE MONTBRETTIA. —THE BESSERA. —THE NECTAROSCORDUM.— THE CALOCHORTUS.—THE CYCLO- BOTHRA.—THE PLANTIA.— THE LEUCOCORYNE.— THE BELLE- VALIA.— THE ALBUCA.— THE GAGEA. — THE BARNARDIA, — THE HESPERASCORDIUM.— THE DRIMEA.— THE ERIOSPERMUM.— THE SPATALANTHUS. — THE CONANTHERA.— THE CUMMINGIA. — THE UROPETALON.— THE STREPTANTHERA.— THE TRITELIA - . INDix ° ° e e e e ° e ° e e e e e ° 267 293 WHAT. ARE BULBS? go, a bulb is an m OTANICALLY speakin 5 underground stem, and, though generally considered a root, partakes more of the na- ture of a seed. Strictly, there are but three kinds of \ , ; bulbs, — the coated, such as the hyacinth and onion, where the scales are large, and, fold- ing around each other, form the bulb; the scaly, of which the lily is the familiar example, which consist of narrow, fleshy scales, united at the base; and the solid bulbs, or corms, such as the gladiolus and crocus, which consist of a solid, white, farinaceous mass, and which, perhaps, may be considered as a sort of rounded tuber. In popular parlance, however, almost any solid, under- ground stem is called a bulb; and under this name are included many true tubers, which, in reality, possess little of the bulbous nature. 2 17 18 WHAT ARE BULBS ? A familiar example of this is the well-known tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa), called a tuberose from its tuberous root, and not, as commonly conceived, from being a ‘‘ rose with a tube,” and a true tuber, but which is usually consid- ered a bulb. As we have said, the bulb partakes more of the nature of a seed; that is, when planted, it sends forth roots into the earth, and an ascending shoot to the upper air, as a seed does in vegetation ; and, as in the case of a seed, the young plant is nourished by the starchy matter contained in the bulb, in the same manner as by that stored in the seed. The seed, however, having given birth to the plant, wastes away, and is lost; but the bulb, to all appearance, re- mains the same. This latter is, in truth, not the case. Each year, the old tissue of the bulb is consumed by the plant, and replaced by new, though often in such a way that it is imperceptible to the careless eye. A seed also sends up a stem which produces leaves and branches, or rather buds, which become developed as such but a bulb only sends up leaves and a flower-stem. There are, however, some bulbs which produce little bulbs, or bulblets, in the axils of the leaves. The primary use of the bulb is to store up nourishment WHAT ARE BULBS? 19 for the development of the leaves and flowers. The period required to perfect this process, or, in gardeners’ language, to make the bulb ‘strong enough to bloom,” is widely different in different species, and even varies much in the same species, according to mode of srowth and favorable or unfavorable circumstances. Some bulbs and tubers require years before a sufficient stock of feculent matter is accumulated: others in a few months gain strength enough to nourish the flower. The mode by which this store is laid up is by no means different from that by which all plants assimilate to their own sup- port the elements of earth, air, and water. It is effected by means of the roots and leaves, or foliage, and only differs in the place of deposit. 7 In all bulbs, tubers, and fleshy root-stalks, this nutriment is laid up in the earth, and the leaves mostly die annually, or take a season of rest: and hence we see the pertinence and force of the old gardener’s adage, ‘‘ Fine flowers, large leaves ;” as, without a full development of foliage, it is use- less to expect a perfection of bloom. Were the leaves of a bulb to be cut off as fast as they appear, the bulb would perish: therefore, if we would allow them their full action for the perfection of the bulb, they should never be cut off 20 WHAT ARE BULBS? until they begin to turn brown and wither, which is a sure sion the circulation of the sap has ceased; and then they will readily come away from the bulb. As our present treatise is for popular gardening, we shall include under the general name of bulbs many true tubers, to which the general rules of bulb-culture are applicable. All bulbs require a season of rest: this takes place after the plant has produced its bloom, stored up the nourishment for the growth of the coming year, and ripened its seed. The foliage turns yellow, and falls off (except in the case of evergreen bulbs, which preserve them green, but without growth) ; and the bulb, save its fresh, plump appearance, preserves no sign of vitality. This season of rest varies greatly in time and duration; in some being very short, in others very long. In some, we can change it indefinitely ; as gardeners say, the bulb ‘forces well,” that is, may be forced into bloom at any season: while others ‘force badly ;” that is, can only be had in perfection at certain seasons. Bulbs which flower in early spring, such as crocus, Persian iris, frittelaria, snowdrop, tulip, and hyacinth, . rest from June or July until October, when cheir roots -begin to grow; but the leaves do not appear until the next WHAT ARE BULBS? 21 spring. Lilies go to rest immediately after flowering, and seldom grow until late in the spring, except the white lily (ZL. candidum) and its varieties, which make their growth in the autumn preparatory to blooming in early summer. Of this same nature are the many varieties of polyanthus narcissus, and iris Susiana, one of the most beautiful of the family, which in New England almost always make a fall growth, and, unless very well protected, has the young growth killed by the winter, and the bulb perishes. Some bulbs, of which the colchicum is the best example, bloom late in the autumn, and perfect their growth of foliage and the seed the following spring. In some, as with the well-known Jacobean lly (Sprekelia formosissima) and Belladonna lily (Amaryllis Belladonna), the flower-stalk springs from the naked bulb, and the growth of leaves follows; while in others —as, for example, the tall white star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum pyramidale) —the flower- stalk pushes up after the foliage has decayed. In many bulbs, as the hyacinth and narcissus, the flower- stalk springs from the centre of the crown of leaves, on a ' separate stalk; in others, as in some amaryllis, it is pro- duced from the side of the bulb, and the leaves from the top: and these two modes of growth sometimes occur in the same family. 29 WHAT ARE BULBS? The flower may also be upon the same stalk with the foliage, as in the well-known crown imperial (Lrittelaria amperralis) and many other well-known bulbs. In fact, these peculiarities are infinite ; and it is to these little differ- ences that we owe much of the pleasure we derive in the culture of flowers. A new interest is constantly upspringing in the mind; and the love of Nature insensibly intwines around the soul, until it becomes a part of our nature. As we have seen that each bulb has its season of rest, it would follow that all bulbs should, during that season, have nothing to excite their dormant powers and to urge them to growth. With most bulbs, this is afforded by taking them out of the earth, and preserving them in a perfectly dry place, or with many bulbs grown in pots by withholding water, and ‘‘ drying them off.” Bulbs which preserve an evergreen foliage are, of course, _ never wholly ‘dried off ;” but water is given very sparingly, and only enough to keep the leaves from fading and the bulbs from shrivelling. Care must always be taken, in drying off bulbs, not to dry them up, as thus many small bulbs perish. The bulbs must be kept fresh and plump, but not excited to growth. The degree of dryness each species or variety will bear is WHAT ARE BULBS? Om best learned by experience; but an attempt will be made to give the rules for each case, under ifs appropriate head, in the following pages. Some hardy bulbs do better if taken from the ground as soon as they have matured their growth, and wrapped in dry paper, and thus kept until the season for replanting: this, indeed, is the general practice abroad with ‘‘ Holland ; | bulbs.” Others, again, do far better if left in the ground undisturbed for years. Bulbs grown in water (if desirable to preserve them) should be planted in soil as soon as the bloom fades; as, otherwise, the store of nourishment is exhausted, no new nutriment is laid up, and the bulb consequently perishes, or does not bloom again for years. We have said that the old bulb is consumed each year, and a new bulb formed. This is done in many ways. Some- times it is formed in the centre of the bulb, as in the hyacinth ; sometimes it appears on the side, as in the tulip ; sometimes on top, as in the crocus and gladiolus; and sometimes on the bottom, as in the bulbous iris. Thus the crocus grows out of the ground each year, the iris buries itself, and the tulips move away from their original position. Many fleshy root-stalks also move; the new bud being produced beyond the old one, and sometimes several 24 WHAT ARE BULBS ? inches distant. This is an additional reason for occasion- ally taking up all bulbs, as many are annually lost from a want of this simple precaution. Another reason is, that the bulb, if left in the ground, is often too early stimulated into growth. If, however, we do not care for the finest bloom, but are content with a good display, all common hardy bulbs may be left in the ground undisturbed for three or four years, if once carefully planted. Bulbs are propagated by offsets, or small bulbs, which are produced at the base of the root, or parent bulbs, and in the axils of the leaves, and occasionally as flower- buds, and which soon produce flowering plants. They are also raised from seed, which, however, seldom produces a flowering plant in less than three years. The scaly bulbs may be propagated by planting the scales in sand; each scale, in time, producing a new bulb. Hyacinths, gladiolus, and some other bulbs, are occasionally increased by cutting the old bulb into pieces; each portion being forced to put forth a new shoot and roots. The two former methods are those used by Nature: the latter we owe to the skill of the gardener. | All bulbs are monocotyledons or endogens: that is, the embryo, or cotyledon, has but one leaf, and the leaves are WHAT ARE BULBS ? 25 almost always parallel-veined, without any, or very slight, ramifications ; while those of dycotyledonous plants, or plants having two seed-leaves, are strongly reticulated. As a class, bulbs are most interesting, whether we regard the facility with which they can be cultivated, or the variety, profusion, and brilliancy of their flowers. A bulb-bed can be gay every month, from early April to November; and the brilliancy of their bloom is unrivalled in the floral king- dom. Their name is Legion, and many of the rarer species are no less curious than beautiful. Their greenhouse and parlor culture is very simple, and the flower well repays the necessary care. A bulb-case in a south window, and a bulb-bed under it, will give us flowers from January to December, as we begin the year with fragrant hyacinths, and enjoy, in turn, the ever-welcome snowdrop, the gay crocus, the delicate iris, the modest erythronium, the gaudy tulip, scented hya- cinths, brilliant narcissus, stately lilies, gladiolus, tigridias, and tardy colchicum, till the double Roman narcissus once again bids us a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. II. GENERAL RULES OF CULTURE. 3 =) S we have seen that the bulb is renewed | yearly, it follows that the chief end of cul- Y 4 ture should be to facilitate this renewal, especially if we wish the plant to grow stronger year by year, or to increase by entirely lost sight of. The bulb is grown for the flower, which, being already formed when the bulb is planted, is only developed and brought to perfection. When the flower has faded, the bulb is cast aside, and no further care is given; and as a natural consequence, even if the bulb survives until another season, the flower (if it bloom at all) is poor, weak, and worthless. | The primary rule in bulb-culture is, grow the foliage well. The stronger and more vigorous the leaves are, the stronger will be the bulb, and, consequently, the larger and finer 26 GENERAL RULES OF CULTURE. Ag a the bloom. Neglect of this first rule is the cause of most failures. To bloom the bulbs well the first year 1s easy: you have only to develop what another has prepared: the success can hardly be called your own. SBut if, the second year, you can produce as fine, or even finer flowers, you may well claim to possess skill in bulb-culture. : While, however, we may not care to take the trouble to grow our bulbs well, so as to produce finer bloom year by year, it may be well to know how to do it. The present great mart for the more common bulbs is Holland, where bulb-culture is the business of many principal horticul- turists, by whom the foreign market is supplied. This business has been carried on so extensively for many years, that certain exotic bulbs, such as tulips, hyacinths, and crocus, are generally known as ‘‘ Dutch or Holland bulbs.” These bulbs are raised in such quantities, and ia se cheap, that, in this country, it is easier to import bulbs than to raise them: so that the bulbs which have flowered in the winter are usually thrown away, or planted in some corner of the garden, where they come up, and bloom year after year, and occasionally produce fine flowers. The rarer bulbs are more cared for, as they are much more difficult to procure, and far more expensive. The 28 GENERAL RULES OF CULTURE. same general rules of culture, however, apply to both, whether they are hardy or tender. Imported bulbs are often weak from being kept a long time out of the ground: this is especially the case with lilies and erythroniums, of which a large proportion never survive the first winter: crocus and hyacinths, being of a different nature, are seldom injured. The bulbs should be planted at once in proper soil, according to the species: if out of doors, in a well-drained bed; if in doors, in well- drained pots. ‘There are few bulbs which need a wet situ- ation, and all are impatient of standing water: therefore, to secure good drainage is one of the points of primary importance in bulb-culture. Hardy bulbs may be planted as late as the ground keeps open; and we have often set them out when it was necessary to take off a thick crust of frozen earth before we found ground soft enough to work. In one instance, a lot of hyacinths and crocus, received very late, were planted inthe frozen ground (the holes being made with a crowbar), and the next spring showed a fine lot: of flowers, but little later than, or inferior to, those planted earlier. It should, however, be stated, that the winter was most favorable to the winter-growth of the bulbs; the earth being covered with snow, and the frost never penetrating to GENERAL RULES OF CULTURE. 29 any great depth: had the winter been “ open,” all the bulbs would have perished. As a general rule, the bulbs should be planted in October, that the roots may make a good growth before the cold weather sets in. The mode of planting must vary according to various tastes; but generally the bulbs should be so grouped as to give the most effect when in blossom. Thus snow- drops, crocus, erythroniums, Persian iris, and other small bulbs, should never be planted singly, but always in clumps, the larger the better; the single bulbs about an inch apart every way, or in triple lines as an edging to a bed. Hyacinths, narcissus, and other large bulbs, may be planted singly or in lines, but are far more effective planted in threes; that is, one at each point of a triangle, each bulb about nine inches from the others. A combination of colors may often thus be very prettily contrived. The bulbs should never be mixed. Let each kind be planted in masses by itself, if the full effect of each be ‘desired. We have often seen a mixture of crocus and snowdrops by which the snowdrops were entirely lost, their simple beauty being wholly neutralized by the more gaudy colors of the crocus. Hyacinths and narcissus do not accord well together, nor do jonquils and frittelarias 30 GENERAL RULES OF CULTURE. (Ff. meleagris). Crown imperials (Frittelaria impervalis) should stand by themselves in clumps: if planted in mixture with smaller bulbs, they cause them to appear insignificant by their stately growth. In arrangement, again, the smaller bulbs should be planted in the foreground, the taller growers behind: thus each, when in bloom, appears to the best advantage. Much may be effected by a tasteful arrangement of colors: clumps of white, blue, yellow, and purple crocus, planted alternately with broad belts of snowdrops, are very showy. As a general rule, stakes marked with the names of varieties are unsightly, as too conspicuous. Most bulbs are low growers; and while it may be interesting to know the name. of a showy variety, yet to have it forced upon the attention by a painted stake robs the flower of much of its effect. Where care has been taken in the selection of varieties (and named varieties are always the best, and give more satisfaction), it is well to preserve the names; which may very easily be done by having a plan of the bulb bed drawn on a sheet of paper, and the proper position of each species and variety indicated by a figure refer- ring to an index of names. In planting in the open ground, GENERAL RULES OF CULTURE. 31 the general rule is that the crown of the bulb should be placed an inch below the surface: if in a situation, how- ever, where the bulbs would be liable to be thrown out by the frost, an inch and a half will not be too deep. The larger the bulb, the deeper it should be planted ; and all lilies and crown imperials should be set three inches below the surface, and even deeper if the bulbs are very large. Crocus should be set deeper than bulbs of the same size, as their tendency is to grow out of the ground; and iris rather higher, as they naturally bury themselves: this upon the supposition that the bulbs are not to be taken up annually. The bulb bed may be made more effective if gently sloped from the back to the front: if under a window, slope it toward the path; but the inclination should always be to the south, as thus, in winter, it receives more sun, and the flowers bloom earlier in the spring. There is often a difference of three weeks in the blooming of bulbs planted at the same time under a south and west window, the difference being in favor of the former. If the house is stone or brick, or has a stone un- der-pinning, it is a good plan to have a narrow border dug close to the house. Fill this with snowdrops and yellow cloth-of-gold crocus, or the pretty little striped Scotch 32 -GENERAL RULES OF CULTURE. crocus: the former, in a favorable season, will bloom in February ; and the latter, very early in March. The bulbs being planted (say about the middle of Octo- ber), there is nothing more to be done until the ground begins to freeze. But the bulbs are by no means idle: no sooner are they planted than they begin to grow. A crocus or hyacinth will in a few days throw out a root an inch long, if in a moist soil; the shoot also begins to protrude, and in‘a few weeks the plant is fairly established. As soon as the ground begins to freeze at night, the bed should be covered with three or four inches of coarse litter, which will prevent the earth from freezing very deep, and thus allow the roots to grow all winter. Unless the cold is very severe, the plants will continue to push; and, when the covering is removed, — which it should be: about the middle of March, or when the snowdrops push up through the litter, —the bulbs will be found to have _ made sprouts an inch or more in length. These, of course, will be yellow, from not having been exposed to the light ; but they will soon turn green. As goon as the flowers have faded, all seed-vessels should be removed, unless it is desirable to raise seedlings; as the ripening of seed weakens the bulb. If the spring is very dry, the bed should GENERAL RULES OF CULTURE. 33 be occasionally watered, to prevent the at unainte ripening of the foliage, and to encourage its growth. As soon as the leaves have faded, they should be removed ; and the bulbs should rest Gf not taken up) until they naturally begin to grow again. Showy annuals (such as portulaca) planted through the bed will cover all bare places during the summer, and do not send their roots deep enough to injure the bulbs. As soon as the frost has killed these, the bed should be cleared, carefully forked (except where the bulbs are), and a coating of fine manure supplied. It is a good plan to apply weak liquid manure ; and an addition of powdered charcoal to the soil of the bed will give additional brilliancy to the flowers. Powdered bone or horn-scrapings are also excellent ma- ) nures. The culture of tender bulbs is, in a measure, similar to that of the hardy species. Potted in well-drained pots, they should be gently watered, and kept in a warm, shady place, till they begin to grow; then water should be more freely given, and they should be placed in full sunlight, and as near the glass as possible, to encourage a thick, sturdy growth. When in bloom, they should be kept cool, that the dura- tion of the flower may be prolonged. 3 3 GENERAL RULES OF CULTURE. During growth, copious syringing should be given, to destroy the red spider, the great enemy of greenhouse bulbs. They should not be allowed to ripen seed. After bloom- ing, the leaves should be grown ie the tips begin to turn yellow ; when water should be less freely administered, aud the plants be gradually dried off. When thus at rest, the pots should be turned on their sides, placed on shelves under the greenhouse stage, or in a shed or cellar, and so remain until the season for repotting. Bulbs with ever- green foliage should never be entirely dried of; but the supply of water should be greatly reduced until the plants again show signs of growth. Sa general rule, a soil with a proportion of sand is best suited to the growth of bulbs. Some even thrive in pure sand; and there are very few which will succeed in heavy, close, clayey, or peaty soil. This fact must be borne in mind in the culture of all bulbs. Many require a rich soil, and some will bear manuring ; but even these need light soil and well-rotted manures. A good compost for the growth of common bulbs is one part clean sand, one part leaf-mould or rich garden-loam, | and one part well-rotted cow-dung. A good substitute for this latter is the bottom of an old hot-bed; but it should be very well rotted, so that its component parts cannot be dis- tinguished, and such as will fall away like loam. 35 36 PREPARATION OF SOIL, In the preparation of beds for hardy bulbs, the following directions may be given : — SITUATION. This should always be sunny; though, except for early- blooming species, it need not face the south. There are, in all the numerous family of bulbs, very few species that delight in shade. Many of our best-known bulbs are natives of countries where the sun is far hotter than in our own; where the year is divided into but two seasons, — the rainy and the dry, — during the former of which the growth is perfected, and, ihe blooming, the plant rests in a state of perfect inactivity till called into growth again by the return of the wet season, or, in some cases, sending up its fom ercted, then followed by the growth. In this latter case, however, the bulb is at rest ; the bloom being perfected during growth, and only developed at a later period. In the culture of bulbs, as well as in all other culture, we must, by every means in our power, approximate to the natural conditions of growth; and, the nearer we attain this end, the more perfect will be our success. ‘Thus it follows, that, while a bulb-bed should have plenty of sun, it should not be so dry that a good supply of moisture cannot be AND APPLICATION OF MANURE. 37 obtained during the growing season. These two conditions we can seldom find; and, even if we could, few soils are rich enough for bulb-culture without further preparation: and therefore, having selected a sunny exposure, where no large trees may, by their branches, shade the bed, or, by their roots, rob it of its richness, our next step is the PREPARATION OF THE BED. The bed should be at least thirty inches deep, of good bulb-soil; and must be well drained. As few situations naturally fulfil these conditions, excavation is necessary. First, throw off all the black loam in piles at the side, and then cart away all yellow loam, sand, or gravel, to the required depth. If the subsoil is gravel, the bed is ready for filling; letting the bottom, however, slope gently from back to front, the front of the bed being the point of obser- vation, or that from which it is seen to best advantage when in bloom. If, however, we have a stiff clay subsoil, or any that will retain water, it will be necessary to go from six to nine inches deeper for drainage. This space should be filled with small stones, laid to a blind drain at the lowest part, to carry off all superfiuous water. The loam that was removed from the surface may 38 PREPARATION OF SOIL, then be filled in, provided it does not more than half fill the bed; and the bed should then be filled up, some four inches above the former level, with prepared soil, of equal parts of loam, or leaf-mould, clean sand, and well-rotted cow- manure, or old hot-bed. A few days should be allowed before planting, that the soil may settle. It is always well to have the surface of the bed an inch or more above the surrounding soil ; and the surface should slope gently from the centre to the sides, or from the rear to the front. A most excellent compost for bulbs, especially for, ranun- culus and swatbomae: is made by taking the turfs of an old pasture, making a heap of them, and letting them rot for two or three years, turning them occasionally to pick out any insects or hard foreign bodies. The sand used should be clean and fine, or, as gardeners say, ‘‘sharp;” free fom all stones or earthy matter, and fresh. If sea-sand is used, it should be well washed, to take out the salt: there are but very few bulbs that flourish in a soil containing salt. POTTING. In planting bulbs in pots, the same primary rules of drainage should be observed. This is effected by filling the AND APPLICATION OF MANURE. 39 pots with about an inch of broken potsherds, or ‘ crocks,” and then filling up with prepared soil. Small bits of char- coal, about the size of a hazel-nut, make a very good drain- age, and contribute to heighten the brilliancy of the flowers. The chief care in the growth of bulbs in pots is to pre- vent the soil from becoming sodden through imperfect drainage, or too dry from want of sufficient water, during the season of growth. It must be borne in mind that the vigorous growth, once begun, should never cease until the season of rest arrives ; and any check received from neglect in watering, greatly injures the bulb. MANURES. All manures should be well decomposed, or ‘ rotted.” Fresh or very strong manures are injurious. Cow-dung is the principal manure used; but this should always be a year old, and never be hot. Horse-dung should never be used, unless perfectly de- composed, and deprived of all heating principle. Any manure should be clean, or ‘‘ very fine;” that is, free from worms and slugs, and with no admixture of straw 40 PREPARATION OF SOIL, or stubble. It should be in such a condition as to be thoroughly incorporated with the soil. In the formation of a bulb-bed, it should be well manured, and will not generally require further manuring, except the autumn top-dressing, for several years. If, however, it becomes poor, liquid manure may be advantageously ad- ministered. This should be made by mixing cow-dung and rain-water ; and it should be applied at night, over the sur- face of the bed, from the fine rose of a water-pot, when the plants are not in bloom and in growth. Weak guano- water may also be of service, but should be used with caution. Powdered charcoal may be mixed with the soil with advantage to the flowers. Ground bone is an excellent manure for a bed of hyacinths. Horn-scrapings, or piths, answer the same purpose. Bulbs grown in pots need no manure if the soil has been properly prepared. Waterings of weak manure-water may, however, be given where a weak growth seems to require it. Bulbs grown in water are greatly improved by the addi- tion of a few drops of aqua ammonia to the water each time it is changed. In potting hyacinths and tuberoses, after the drainage, it is our practice to fill in between one and two inches of AND APPLICATION OF MANURE. 4] dried cow-droppings, collected from the pastures, and which have been exposed to the weather during the winter. These are crumbled up and pressed down, and the pot then filled with prepared soil. In watering, this mass of manure becomes soft; and when the young root of the bulb, pushing through the soil, comes in contact with it, the effects are at once evident in the growth of the plant. By this means, we have obtained remarkably fine spikes of bloom. These remarks must be understood as applying to plants which are true bulbs, and as not being without exception. A bed for gladiolus is best prepared by plentifully manur- ing with stable-manure, digging it in about November, and planting the bulbs in early spring. Many lilies are rather gross feeders, and will bear any manure which is not heating. ‘Tubers, or creeping root-stocks, such as dahlias, cannas, and German iris, delight in a strong, rich, well- manured soil, and do not thrive in sandy loam: but gener- ally sandy loam is best suited to bulbs; and, where they are planted in a stiff soil, it is best to fill a handful of sand in the hole made for the bulb, to prevent its rotting in winter from too much dampness. — BULB CASES; GROWTH IN WATER, MOSS, AND SAND. \ «fg NE of the most satisfactory modes of grow- ing bulbs in the house is in a bulb ease. - By this very simple contrivance, all the objections to plants in pots are obviated, and the plants thrive much better. The bulb case is a simple oblong table, as long as the window, where you wish to grow the bulbs, is wide, and wide enough to accommodate three medium-sized pots in each cross-row. A very good size is four and a half feet in length by two feet in width in the clear, so as to hold three rows of eight pots each. Let the table be hollow, and eight to ten inches deep, all thoroughly joined together, and well coated with white lead on the inside, particularly around the joints. Into this table fit a zinc pan of the same depth, with wire handles which turn down inside at each end. The prettiest style of table for a parlor is of oiled black walnut, with turned legs, pan- 42 ae, S L4nn> pe BULB CASES; 43 elled sides, and as high as the sill of the window. It should be fitted with strong castors, that it may run easily, and be turned if the plants grow one-sided. If any other form is employed, — and we give only the above form and dimensions as being those most simply made, — the only care is to see that it is so proportioned that there is no waste room on the inside ; that is, that it may accommodate a certain number of pots without small bare places. If the table is made circular, the whole top may turn on a pivot. After the bulbs are potted in October, they should be put in a dark cellar, and moderately watered for three weeks, to encourage the growth of the roots. When the pots are filled with roots, or when they touch the sides of the pot (which may engile be ascertained by inverting the pot, giving the edge a sharp rap, when the ball will come out entire, may be examined, and may then be replaced in the pot without injury to the plant), the pots may be brought from the cellar, and placed in the bulb case. Fill the case with pots, and fill common moss obtained in the woods, or sphagnum from the meadows, into all the interstices, and as high as the top of the pots; then cover all the pots about half an inch with the rich green moss which may be found on 44 GROWTH IN WATER, MOSS, AND SAND. shady rocks in oak woods. The shoots of the bulbs will soon push through the moss if the table is placed in a sunny window ; and, if the moss is kept well sarin. we shall have a bed of hyacinths in a garden of moss. Of course, with such constant watering, much water will accumulate in the bottom of the pan: but this will produce no bad effects; the roots of the plants in time running through the holes in the bottom of the pots, and luxuriating in the wet moss. The plants placed in the case early in November will bloom about Christmas. As soon as the bloom fades, the pots should be taken from the case, placed in a light cellar, watered to encourage the growth of the foliage, and their places supplied with other pots brought from the cellar. As the plants will not all bloom at once, the case will always, by thus renewing, have plants in . bloom from Christmas to April. To maintain this succession, a stock of from seventy- five to one hundred bulbs should be potted ; and some atten- tion should be paid to the period of flowering, as some varieties bloom very early, and others always bloom late and cannot be forced. The early-blooming varieties should be brought forward in early winter, while the later should be left in the cellar till February. BULB CASES; — 45 The stock of bulbs may all be potted at the same time, or at intervals of a month. Care must be taken not to over-water them while in the cellar, as too much moisture causes rot both of roots and tops. The larger bulbs should be planted one in a pot; but of smaller, such as crocus, tulips, and jonquils, three may be placed in the same pot. A number of double Roman narcissus should always be potted for very early blooming: these will be out of bloom by the middle of January, and may be replaced by Polyanthus narcissus Gloriosa (one of the earliest and best) ; and these in turn by the stronger and later varieties, of which Grand Primo and Grand Monarque are the best. The narcissus, being of tall habit, should be placed in the, middle of the case. The accompanying plates may give a good idea of the bulb case before it is filled and after the plants are in bloom. The great advantage of growing plants in cases is, that all spilling of water or overflowing of saucers, and all risk of overturning or breaking the pots, is avoided; and thus plants may be grown in the parlor without ‘* making dirt.” 46 _ GROWTH IN WATER, MOSS, AND SAND. IN GLASS CASES. Bulbs are sometimes grown in close glass or Wardian cases. The treatment is very simple; being merely to plant the bulb in the soil, and to give air enough to prevent rot or mould. We have, however, found that, in every case, the leaves become tall or ‘‘ drawn,” and the flowers were lacking in brilliancy. IN WATER. This popular mode of growing bulbs seldom gives very fine flowers; but its simplicity and pretty effect will always BULB CASES; 47 (i = = (G(au recommend it. The bulb should be placed in the glass in November; the glass being filled with rain-water up to the neck, so that the base of the bulb may just touch it. Place the glasses in a warm, dark place, keeping them filled with water, for three weeks, or until the glass is half filled with roots; then remove to the light, and gradually to full sunlight. After blooming, if it is desirable to preserve the bulb, it should be taken from the glass, and planted in earth, to strengthen it. The water in the glasses should be changed every week, or as often as it becomes cloudy (a bit of charcoal in the water will, however, keep it sweet and clear); and, in 48 GROWTH IN WATER, MOSS, AND SAND. renewing the water, care must be taken that that supplied be of the same temperature as that taken away. There are many forms and colors of glasses: those of dark glass are best for the bulbs. The accompanying figure shows some of the many attrac- tive forms :— The bulbs usually erown in glasses are hyacinths: but we occasionally see English iris, tulips, and narcissus, which make a pretty show; the treatment required for them being the same as for the hyacinth. A few drops of glue or ammonia, added to the water in which bulbs are grown, increases the brilliancy of the flower, and strengthens the bulb. BULB CASES; 49 IN VEGETABLES. Hyacinths are sometimes grown in a carrot or turnip, hollowed out, and filled with water. The bulb grows well; and a growth of young foliage springs from the top of this novel flower-vase, and entirely conceals the bulb. In this way, many pretty effects may be produced. The treatment is the same required by bulbs in glasses. IN MOSS. Pots or glasses may be filled with moss, and bulbs grow very prettily therein. ‘The treatment is the same as that required by bulbs in earth. A very pretty way is to make a ball of moss, fill it with bulbs, wire it round, and hang it in a warm, light place ; occasionally turning it to make an even growth, and dipping it im water when it gets dry. The shoots of the bulbs will cover the moss, and the roots will run through the inside. The Jacobean lily (Sprekelia, or Amaryllis formosissumus), grown in this way, blooms beautifully, and is a fine summer ornament. / 4 50 - GROWTH IN WATER, MOSS, AND SAND. IN SAND. This mode is popular, as sand is cleaner than earth, and the contrast of the white sand and green leaves is very pleasing. The only care necessary is to see that the sand contains no salt, and that it never becomes dry. The other treatment is the same required by bulbs grown in earth. CROCUS-POTS. Crocus are often grown in faney china-pots, represent- ing porcupines. They are planted so that the leaves may represent the quills of the animal. The pots may be filled with earth, moss, or sand, and treated as directed for bulbs thus grown. The great difficulty is to produce an even growth, the effect generally being a porcupine with quills in a very dilapidated condition; and therefore this mode of growth is not now as popular as formerly. Vv. DISEASES AND INSECTS. ISEASES are not of fre- quent occurrence in bulb culture, if proper attention ae eS d © __is paid to the preparation of soil, and the application of water; and bulbs are subject to the attacks of few insects, if reasonable care is taken. The principal are red spider, green-fly, mealy bug, black, brown, and white scale, mildew and rot. PREMATURE FLOWERING. Premature flowering — that is, the flowers of such bulbs as hyacinths expanding without pushing up a flower-stalk — is not strictly a disease, but is caused by improper culture. This not unfrequently occurs when the bulbs are exposed 51 Sy) DISEASES AND INSECTS. to light and heat soon after planting, and before they have had time to put forth roots. As there are no roots to draw nourishment from the earth, the bulb is thrown upon its own resources, and the leaves and flower are produced at | the expense of the nutriment already laid up in the scales of the bulb. There is no power or strength to throw up a foot-stalk, and the flowers half expand down in the bulb. Often, in such cases, we find, in the course of time, the withered flowers elevated on a long foot-stalk ; showing that, as soon as sufficient roots were matured, the bulb did all that was necessary to produce a fine flower. This same premature flowering sometimes occurs, even where there are plenty of roots, if the room where the plants are grown is subject to great variations of temperature. Where this is the case, the simple remedy of a more equable temperature, and more air, will produce satisfac- tory results. It sometimes happens that a bulb will develop flowers on a short foot-stalk, in spite of every care. This may be the effect of too much direct sun and heat, or may bea defect in the bulb. An easy course of treatment is to make a cylinder of card-board, stiff brown paper, or some other DISEASES AND INSECTS. 53 opaque substance, just large enough to fit over the shoot of the bulb, and about eight inches long. Fit this over the bulb, and it will cause the leaves and flower-stalks to grow out of it to reach the light. As soon as both are sufficiently long, the case may be removed. TARDY FLOWERING. This often occurs from want of sufficient light or heat. In the former case, the leaves and flower-stem become drawn and white, and the flowers are pale: in the latter, the plant is somewhat stunted ; and the flowers die without expanding, or are destitute of color. If the flower-stem is gone, the only treatment is to grow the plant well, that the foliage may mature a good bulb for another year, by giving plenty of light and heat. If, however, the flower-buds have not withered, the buds will, by removing the plant to a warm, sunny situation, gain color, and give good bloom. It is worthy of remark, that neither premature nor tardy flowering occurs in open-air culture, but only attack house- grown bulbs. ‘The inference is obvious that they are caused by our treatment not supplying some requisite of growth which Nature affords. 54 DISEASES AND INSECTS. RED SPIDER. Some bulbs are especially liable to the attacks of this pest of greenhouse culture. ‘Those with soft leaves, such as hyacinths and narcissus, are not generally troubled; but those with stiff, gladiate foliage, as most of the Cape bulbs, seldom escape. It will be noticed that this is usually a trouble in parlor or greenhouse culture, out-door bulbs being seldom attacked. The presence of the spider is easily known by the foliage of the infested plants assuming a rough, scaly, reddish- brown or white appearance; or, in severe cases, being covered with minute, hardly visible cobwebs, and inhabited with myriads of small red spiders. 3 An examination of any foliage so infested, under a microscope, shows a network of web covering the whole leaf, and the presence of multitudes of insects, and this even before the effect of their presence is perceived iy the naked eye. These spiders feed upon the juices of the plant, and, by sucking all life from the foliage, weaken, and eventually destroy, the bulb. They also invest the scaly covering and skin of those bulbs (such as amaryllis) which require to be planted one-half above the surface of the ground. DISEASES AND INSECTS. 5d Heat and drought are favorable to their growth and development ; and they are most abundant in the warmest and sunniest parts of the greenhouse, such as the top shelves near the glass, where Cape bulbs are usually grown to prevent them from becoming drawn. The remedy is copious syringing, whenever the plants are not in full sunshine. If the foliage can be kept moist for a while, it is certain death to the spider. This is the reason for the constant syringing of foliage required in the culture of Cape bulbs, as, without great care, they are sure to be attacked by spider. In this the old maxim, ‘‘ An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” well applies; for if the red spider once establishes himself, and browns the leaves, the beauty of the plant is gone for the season. _ While red spider is peculiarly a subject of in-door culture, it sometimes, in times of drought, becomes formidable in the garden. During the last two summers of extreme drought (1864 and 1865), it has been very common on gladiolus as well as on many garden-plants; but, though always to be found on garden-plants in summer, it seldom produces any perceptibly injurious effects. 56 DISEASES AND INSECTS. Where the spider is very plenty, a little flower of sulphur may be dusted over the foliage to advantage. A good preventive is to place a pan upon the flue of the greenhouse, fill it with water, and dust into it a few hand- fuls of flower of sulphur: the fumes arising from this when the water becomes heated are death to the spider. Care must be taken not to allow these fumes to rise upon very delicate plants, as they are sometimes injurious. The common remedy of putting sulphur on the flue should be used with great caution, as, though sure death to the spider, it often kills the plants, or causes them to lose their leaves. In house-culture, the simplest remedy for spider is syrin- ging, or, where this cannot be done, frequent sponging of the foliage with pure water, or sulphur and water. GREEN-FLY. The green aphis, or fly, so common in greenhouses, is often found on the foliage of bulbs. The easiest and best remedy is a gentle fumigation of the greenhouse, or of the infected plant under a barrel, as in the ordinary treatment of house-plants for this pest. ee ee DISEASES AND INSECTS. — ie The insects are stupefied by the smoke, fall from the foli- age, and are easily washed away by a subsequent syringing. This latter is important, as the tobacco seldom kills, but only stupefies, the fly; and if not washed off, and drowned by the water, the insects crawl up on to the foliage again, and the labor is lost. It is also useful to wash off any which may still cling to the leaves. MEALY BUG. This enemy is much more difficult to conquer than the two preceding, as no general application will be effective. Fortunately, bulbs are but little infested. The remedy is to pick or wash off the insects by a careful sponging of the foliage. A touch of kerosene oil, applied to the bug with a very fine camel’s-hair pencil, is instant death, and not injuri- ous to the plant. Where these insects infest the scales or skin of green- house bulbs, as is not uncommon, they are with difficulty extirpated. The treatment is to peel off so much of the old skin as can be done without injury, and then carefully remove all bugs that can be seen, and repeat the process as often as any bugs can be found. 58 DISEASES AND INSECTS. BLACK, BROWN, AND WHITE SCALE. Bulbs that make an annual growth are seldom troubled by these insects; but they are not uncommon on those with evergreen foliage. The simple treatment of washing the foliage and leaf- stalks of the infested plants with a sponge dipped in weak warm soapsuds will be found effectual in all cases. House-bulbs are seldom liable to be attacked by these insects. MILDEW Sometimes attacks soft-foliaged bulbs, but is easily re- moved by a sprinkling of flower of sulphur over the diseased part, or by putting sulphur on the flue of the house in a pan of water, as previously directed. It is caused by too much moisture, and is especially prevalent in damp warm weather. ROT. This disease attacks the bulb, and is not susceptible of curative treatment. When a bulb is attacked by wet or dry rot, if it has not progressed too far, or is not in the ee tae DISEASES AND INSECTS. 59 core or heart of the bulb, cutting away the affected parts with a sharp knife will sometimes save the bulb; other- wise a diseased bulb should never be planted, as it may infect others. Gladiolus are subject to a peculiar form of rot. The surface of the bulb is covered with black specks, which spread all over it, and finally dry up and kill the bulb. Such bulbs hor not be thrown away (especially if of valuable varieties), as they sometimes recover ; but should be planted by themselves, that they may not infect sound bulbs. We have noticed that bulbs in heavy soils were more subject to this disease than those in soil of a light, sandy nature ; and also that old bulbs are much more likely to be affected than young ones. A remedy, or rather preventive, may be to put a little sand in the hole in planting the bulb, and to raise seedlings instead of planting old varieties; the latter to be especially recommended, as our American seedlings are better than imported varieties. In the attention paid to the culture of the hyacinth in Holland, several diseases have developed themselves, which are best described in an article translated from the Dutch for ‘‘'‘The Gardener’s Magazine,” from which we give the following extracts : — 60 DISEASES AND INSECTS. ‘The hyacinth is liable to seven diseases: first, the white rotz; second, the black rotz; third, the rot; fourth, mould; ji/th, consumption, or wasting; sixth, shrinking; seventh, excess of offsets. ‘“¢ Furst, The white rotz is known by a resin, which gen- erally oozes from the upper part of the bulb, and also from the side, about October; and is of a hard consistency, not unlike the resin that flows from trees. The white rotz also assumes the appearance of a white, slimy substance, and has a very unpleasant smell, which is particularly evident when the bulb is cut open; and bulbs in this state should be thrown away without hesitation. The rotz has been assumed to be incurable, and bulbs so affected are generally thrown away: they should never be planted, as they infect the ground to such a degree, that sound bulbs, planted in the ground as late as three years after, become infected. Where the diseased bulb is very valuable, if it is placed in a place where snails abound, they will eat out the diseased part, and the bulb often recovers and grows. ‘¢ Second, The black rotz is more difficult to know than the white rotz, because, as soon as the bulb is taken out of the ground and kept dry, the rotz dries up also. The stool, or plate, of the bulb,—that is, the point from which the DISEASES AND INSECTS. 61 roots proceed, — appears as if eaten out on the side; and the scales at that part have dry, black edges. When, therefore, there is but little of this disease in the bulb, it is very dith- cult to be ascertained; and it must be particularly looked for when the bulbs are about to be put into the ground, as it will not only destroy the infected bulb, but all those that are healthy near it. A bulb so attacked, must, therefore, be thrown away. ‘“‘ Third, 'The rot is easily known when it is once fairly begun. It is generally found in the scales near the heart of the bulb ; and, to discover it, the point of the bulb should be cut off horizontally with a sharp knife. If the bulb is affected with this disease, a yellowish or brownish stripe will be seen between the scales, and all the part thus dis- colored should be cut away till it is completely eradicated ; but, when it reaches farther than half of the bulb, it is past remedy, and the bulb must be thrown away. Great care must, however, be taken, in cutting off the point of the bulb, not to injure the germ which has formed inside of it; and, when this is likely to be the case, the cuts should be made, not horizontally, but in a slanting direction, towards the point of the bulb, so as not to run any risk of cutting off the extremity of the incipient flower. 62 DISEASES AND INSECTS. ‘‘Tt frequently happens that these stripes are but very little distinguished from the color of the healthy part of the . bulb; and therefore great attention is necessary, that they may not be overlooked. When two, three, or more stripes are seen round the heart of the bulb, it is generally past recovery ; but if they are found far from the heart, and con- sequently near the outer scales, they can all be cut away, with the exception of such as have reached the root-plate and attacked it. Above all, care must be taken that neither the germ nor the root-plate of the bulb is injured; but all parts round them may be cut away. ‘¢ Fourth, 'The mould is found only on the outer or inner part of the first four scales: it is not considered a danger- ous disease, but must be removed by taking off those scales that are attacked. | ‘¢ Fifth, Consumption, or wasting, is indicated by never- varying yellowish or brownish spots in the scales near the heart. This disease is not a Teens one, but is rather an indication of a weak flower, and is very common with | several varieties. ‘These spots may go through the whole bulb without being injurious: therefore they are not to be compared with the stripes of the rot. ‘¢ Sixth, Shrinking is indicated by spots similar to those DISEASES AND INSECTS. 63 above mentioned, only they are much larger. This disease generally draws the whole bulb in a slanting direction, and a part of it appears as if eaten out. The bulb loses its usual round form. ‘This is similar to the disease called wasting, but in a greater degree, and is ae great difficulty removed. It is better to throw away all bulbs attacked with this disease. * Seventh, Excess of offsets takes place only in bulbs capable of praducing flowers. ‘The offsets come out at the sides or through the stool or plate, and the parent bulb becomes divided into a number of young ones. ‘‘ When this is the case, it is left exactly as it is, and planted like the others; and, although the bulb will not flower, it will produce a great many young bulbs. ‘‘ Bulbs which have been cut to eradicate disease should be planted within thirty-six hours after, as a further delay may be conducive to the re-appearance of disease.” Bulbs in the open air are subject to few enemies. Crocus are sometimes eaten by field-mice, and mice are also very fond of tiger-flowers ; but the depredations thus committed are few. Careful preparation of the bulb-bed, and proper planting, will almost always give a fine show of bulbs in the garden. VI. THE HYACINTH, SCILLA, URGINEA, MYOGALUM, NAR- CISSUS. THE HYACINTH. # 1K many hundred varieties of hyacinth known to our gardens have all descended from one species, — H. orientalis ; which is found wild in Asia, near Aleppo and Bagdad. In its wild state, it is generally blue, sometimes pink, and, of course, single. It is mentioned by Gerard, and must have © been introduced before 1596. ‘Till the beginning of the present century, though there were many double varieties, the only colors known were white, blue, and pink: the straw or lemon colored varieties were then produced from seed; and, at the present day, there is scarcely any shade of any color which has not been pro- duced in the hyacinth. 64 THE HYACINTH. 65 The soil suitable for the hyacinth is a light, friable, sandy loam, from which all stones, sticks, and other coarse material, have been removed. The soil should be coarse enough to pass through an inch sieve ; and should never be very fine, nor yet of a coarse, tenacious nature. To such a soil, a liberal quantity of well-rotted cow-dung, free from straw and coarse material, should be added; and a few bushels of clean soot, if for a very large bed. This latter will act as a manure and improve the flower, and also drive away any noxious grubs and worms. The compost should be well mixed, and the parts thoroughly incorporated. If, when prepared, it is so close as to cling together when pressed, a few bushels of clean fresh sand may be advantageously added. This compost is all that is required for the growth of the hyacinth, both in pots or in the mer SELECTION OF BULBS. The bulbs should be clean, roundish, hard, and heavy. Those bulbs presenting a surface of scales should not be chosen, as they seldom give good bloom; but those having the surface covered with a thin, clean skin, should be selected. 5 66 THE HYACINTH. Size is no criterion; for some varieties always produce large bulbs, and others are usually small. Round, medium- sized, plump bulbs, the base or root-stool flat, hard, free from mould or decay, and not sunk, and the top formed of small, closely-fitted scales, with perhaps a stout, strong shoot just pushing, will give the best flower: those having a hollow apex should be avoided. , Large, light, scaly bulbs seldom produce close, compact spikes of bloom, though often throwing a fine mass of foliage, and giving several loose spikes of bloom. Double- crowned bulbs, though usually producing two spikes of bloom, are not desirable, as the flowers are generally infe- rior 1n size. Bulbs should be selected as soon as imported: the expo- sure to the air, and the handling they undergo in a florist’s shop, do not tend to improve them. If the bulbs are not to be planted immediately, they should be kept in a cool, dry place, laid singly, or wrapped in thin paper, and as nearly as possible in a state of perfect rest. If kept too moist, the roots are excited to growth ; and if too hot, the tops sprout. If by chance the roots have started, the bulbs shouid at once be planted. The single varieties produce the finest spikes and more flowers; the double, the finest single THE HYACINTH. 67 blooms. Double varieties are not fitted for growing in water or for very early forcing; and generally, for growing in the house, the single varieties are to be preferred. PLANTING IN BEDS. Hyacinths are most effective in the garden ; and, the beds having been prepared of a proper compost, the bulbs may be planted in October. Varieties should not be mixed, as they vary greatly in height, general habit, and time of blooming, so that a mix- ture is sure to produce a bad effect. Therefore, whether they be planted in lines or clumps, let each line or clump be of one variety, and, of course, of one color. The bulbs should be planted three or four inches deep, ‘according to the size; the larger being planted deeper, and about six inches apart, in lines or double lines; a foot being allowed between each line, and six inches between each double line. - A very pretty way is to fill the bed with triangles of three bulbs of the same color, taking care to let the colors of the different triangles contrast well, and not to plant two triangles of the same color together ; the two bulbs at the base of each triangle being nine inches 68 THE HYACINTH. from that at the apex, and the same distance from each other, and a foot being allowed between each triangle. - Hyacinths should always be planted in dry weather; and if set in common garden-soil, in which they sometimes do well, a little clean sand should be placed round each bulb to prevent rot. ‘The bed should be covered with leaves or litter as soon as the frost sets in, and remain covered till the bulbs push in spring. | ‘A writer in “* The Cottage @netenen gives the following directions for the preparation of a common bulb-bed, which will serve for those who have not time for more thorough - preparation : — ‘¢ When the beds [of the garden] are cleared of their summer occupants, it is time to prepare them for planting bulbs, to bloom in April, May, and the beginning of June. Nothing is better than deep digging, or trenching, placing at the bottom of each bed six inches of fresh or recently fallen tree-leaves, which should be covered with a foot of | soil; and they will serve to raise the beds considerably, and allow water to drain away freely. In the course of a year, the leaves will be pretty well decomposed ; and, on digging in the succeeding autumn, they will be brought to the sur- face, and thus the soil will be enriched by a not over-stimu- THE HYACINTH. 69 lating manure. Fresh leaves being put in every autumn, the beds annually receive a dressing of vegetable matter, which saves dung, and, in dry summers especially, the roots [of bedding-plants| lay hold of the decomposing leaves when the plants are becoming exhausted by blooming. The beds should slope from the centre to the sides; and the borders, from the back to the front.” PLANTING IN WATER. As we have said, the single varieties are preferable for forcing in water, sand, or moss. The heaviest bulbs, with no offsets, or marks of imperfection or decay at the base, should be chosen. ‘They should be placed in the glasses about the first of November; the glasses being filled with rain or river water, and the base of the bulb just touching the water. They should then be placed in a dark place where the temperature does not exceed 50°, and remain about a month, oF until the roots are three or four inches in length. They may then be brought out to the light, and gradually inured to full sunshine. As the water evapo- rates, it must be supplied, and must be changed as often as it becomes discolored or impure; or it may be kept sweet 70 THE HYACINTH. by the addition of a small bit of charcoal. The plants should be kept at an even temperature, and the foliage washed occasionally if it becomes dusty; and the glass — should be frequently turned, that the plants may not become one-sided. A few drops of hartshorn added to the water are bene- ficial to the bloom; and we have given liquid manure, say ten drops, twice a week, with good results. After bloom- ing, the bulbs should be placed in earth to mature their foliage. Hyacinths grown in water will not bloom the next year, but will the third season if grown in soil. IN MOSS OR SAND. Hyacinths grow well in moss or sand, and latterly have been most successfully grown in England in cocoanut refuse. The vessel, or pot, should have about half an inch of pounded charcoal placed at the bottom: on this the moss or sand should be placed, and the bulbs planted up to the apex. Place the whole in a dark place, as directed for bulbs in water, previously giving a good watering; and, when brought to the light, plant little sprigs of Lycopodium denticulatum between the bulbs, or cover the surface with inte THE HYACINTH. "1 green moss from the woods. The plants will need to be kept moist, and the leaves must be sponged to keep them clean. Hyacinths may also be grown in nee or carrots, hollowed out as directed in a preceding chapter, and pro- duce a pretty effect. IN POTS. As a general rule, a hyacinth should not be grown in a pot less than twice the dianieter of the bulb; and, where more than one bulb is grown in a pot, the distance between each bulb should be equal to the diameter of the largest. For single bulbs, pots six inches in diameter are suffi- cient; but, when they can be procured (and any potter can easily make them), we prefer a bulb-pot four inches wide, and from eight to ten deep, which gives better room for the development of the roots. Three hyacinths in a pot look very well, and the same objections to combination of color do not exist in house as in garden planting. A very pretty effect is produced by a red, white, and blue hyacinth in the same pot. The pots being prepared by placing a crock on the hole in the bottom of each, and the bulbs being ready, the offsets te THE HYACINTH. and all loose scales having been removed, we proceed to pot the bulbs ; the time being from the first of September to the middle of November, according to the time at which we wish them to bloom. Often, however, it is best to make several plantings, at periods of from two to four weeks, to -gecure a succession of bloom. And, first, place about half an inch or more of dried cow-dung, such as may be picked up in the pastures, crumbled fine, and free from wire- worms or grubs, at the bottom of the pot; then fill in with the prepared compost, placing the bulb so that its apex is just above the surface of the soil, and the soil about half an inch from the top of the pot at the side, and sloping from the bulb. Give a good watering from the fine rose of a watering-pot, and set the pots in a sheltered place, on a bed of coal-ashes, if out doors or in acellar. The ashes will prevent earth-worms from entering the pots. The object now is to promote the growth of roots before the shoot develops, which is effected by ‘‘ plunging” the pots, or by putting them in a dark frame. By the former method, the pots are placed close together, and covered with from four to eight inches of coal-ashes, tan, or any material of similar nature; and thus they are to remain until the roots touch the sides of the pot, when they, or as THE HYACINTH. 73 many as are needed to bring in, are taken out, and gradu- ally inured to the light. This same object is as well gained, however, by placing the pots in a cool cellar, or in a cold frame darkened. Hyacinths thus plunged in coal-ashes can be safely kept all winter, and be taken out and forced into bloom in early spring, as they are not injured by frost. They need, however, to be protected from soaking rains. Where hyacinths are required for bloom in early winter, they require to be forced. For this purpose, about the 1st of October, they are taken from the frame, and placed in a gentle hot-bed made of horse-dung, and remain there till the pots are full of roots, and the tops begin to start, which will be in about a fortnight: they are then taken to the greenhouse, and gradually forced into bloom by gradually increasing the temperature, giving them plenty of air, keep- ing them near the glass, and keeping the soil moist, but not wet. They should have all the sun that can be given. The temperature at its extreme should range from 55° to 70°; and care must be taken that the plants experience no sud- den check. | By bringing in successive lots of hyacinths, a succession of bloom may be had from Christmas to May Day. If the 74 THE HYACINTH. grower has no greenhouse, he may grow the bulbs in a parlor; keeping them in the cellar until he wishes to bring them forward, or in a cold frame as above directed. As a general rule, hyacinths potted in September will bloom in December; those potted in October and Novem- ber, in January, February, and March: but these seasons may be greatly varied by forcing and retarding. When coming into bloom, hyacinths should be watered with weak liquid manure, unless potted with cow-dung as before directed, in which case they will not need it. We copy from an English work the following rules of hyacinth-growing, and which apply well to all Dutch bulbs. The essentials to success in growing hyacinths are, — ‘¢ Furst, Placing the bulbs in a cool situation until the pots are filled with roots. ‘¢ Second, Keeping them near the glass; for, the more light, the greater is the elaboration of the food and the more stiff is the foliage, the more compactly are the bulbs arranged, the stouter the stalk that supports them, and the brighter the color of the flowers. , ‘¢ Third, The size of the flowers, and the shortness, or rather stiffness, of the spike, depend upon their having plenty of air on all favorable occasions. THE HYACINTH. 715 ‘¢ Fourth, That they have no more heat than is necessary to maintain the plant in a healthy growing state; for, the more naturally a plant is excited, the more satisfactory are the results. s Wifth, A free, open soil, with plenty of vegetable matter. 4 “6 Sixth, Perfect drainage, and being kept free from worms. “¢ Seventh, A moist soil at all times, neither too wet nor too dry; but double the quantity of moisture may be afforded when the truss is nearly developed, every alternate watering being with weak liquid manure, at the tempera- ture of the house or room. ‘¢ Highth, When in bloom, their beauty will last much longer if they are kept in an almost invariable temperature of 40° to 45°, instead of a variable one; but they must be fully in flower, or the colors will not be so bright nor the flowers so fine without a sufficiency of light and heat. ‘6 Ninth, The hyacinth will bloom much more satisfacto- rily in a house from which frost is only excluded than in one where fire-heat is employed.” In selecting hyacinths for early blooming, some regard must be paid to the variety, as some are always early, some 76 THE HYACINTH. always late bloomers ; and it is as useless to attempt to obtain a Christmas bloom from a late-blooming variety as to obtain a satisfactory March, bloom from a bulb which naturally blooms early. After blooming, water should be gradually withheld from the plants until the foliage turns yellow, when watering should be wholly discontinued, and the bulb allowed to rest. Miniature hyacinths, now so popular, are only matured small roots of named hyacinths, which bloom finely for their size, and are well adapted for parlor culture. PROPAGATION. Hyacinths are propagated by offsets, by cross-cuts, by hollowing, and by seed. By Offsets. —The little bulbs, or offsets, should not be pulled off of the parent bulb, but all should be planted together ; and, when the offsets have produced a stool or root-base, they may be removed, and treated like old bulbs. By Cross-cuts.— Choose the strongest and healthiest bulbs, and make four cross-cuts in the root-end half-way up the bulb. This should be done when the bulb is taken up in June. It should then be treated like the other bulbs; THE HYACINTH. 17 and the same autumn the cross-cuts will open pretty wide, and send out young bulbs at the cut scales. They must be planted in this state by themselves, and, the next year, are separated and trimmed. While they are increasing in size, very little foliage, or none at all, appears on the surface of the beds, as the old bulb has no longer any influence, and the young ones only exert their strength towards their own increase. — By Hollowing.— This is usually done in August, if the weather is dry. The manner is as follows: Place the thumb on the root-end of the bulb, and cut round it with a sharp knife, hollowing out the plate, or root-end, as far as the middle of the bulb ; and, when the knife has passed in a circular direction round the bulb, be careful to take it out again where the incision began ; or rather so make the cut, that the plate, extending half-way into the bulb, may fall out of itself. As this operation causes a great deal of moist- ure to flow from the bulb, and there is danger of rot, it should not be undertaken in moist weather. The hollowed- out part of the bulb should not be touched, but be placed on dry sand on a board, and turned to the sun. After lying some time, the heart, which extends as far as the point of the bulb, and which was not removed when the bulb was 3 THE HYACINTH. hollowed out, becomes detached by the heat of the sun, and may be removed. After being properly dried, the bulbs are planted as other bulbs. When the operation proves successful, a great many young bulbs are obtained ; but it generally takes four or five years to bring them to perfection, while those obtained by cross-cuts mature in three years. Like those obtained from cross-cuts, they produce no leaves the first year. By Seed.— Many varieties of hyacinth ripen seed freely, which may be sown in pans of prepared soil when ripe, and nursed in a cold frame till the seedlings are large enough to be planted out in beds. Seedlings bloom the third or fourth year. By the three former operations, approved varieties are perpetuated ; by the latter, new varieties pro- duced. Of other species of hyacinth, there is H. amethystinus, a charming little plant, with blue bells, a native of Spain, introduced in 1759, but very rare, and probably not hardy ; and H. spicatus, an insignificant plant, with white-and-blue flowers, a native of Greece, and not hardy, introduced in 1885, flowering in February. The following list of fine hyacinths is compiled from the best English authority. Those marked with a star, and all THE HYACINTH. 719 the single varieties, are best for early forcing, and culture in water. SS Wiss Vie DOUBLE BLUE. Laurens Koster. Indigo; bells large, closely arranged. Van Speyk. Light blue, striped with deep blue; fine spike, large bells. *Paarlboot. Bright pearly blue; fine bells, and spike. Pasquin. Pale blue; fine spike, larae bells. *Comte de St. Priest. Light blue; fine bells, large spike. Bloksberg. Fine marbled blue; large bells. Garrick. Intense deep blue; good spike, with large bells, closely arranged. , Rudolphus. Sky-blue; good truss. 80 THE HYACINTH. Prince Frederick. Porcelain-blue, or lilac-shaded ; large bells. y Sir Colin Campbell. Light-shaded blue; immense bells ; fine spike. Bouquet Constant. Biccclntlne ; good bells and spike. Othello. Very dark; small spikes’ but large bells. DOUBLE RED. * Duke of Wellington. Pale rose; large bells, good _ spike. Jenny Lind. Deep rose; good bells, and spike. Milton. _ Fine deep red; large bells, good spike. Czar Nicholas. Rose; good spike, fine bells. * Waterloo. Pink at first, changing to deep red; fine spike, and bells. Noble par Mérite. Rose; striped carmine, large spike, immense bells. Groot Voorst. Pale rose; fine bells. * Princess Royal. Fine rose, striped with deep pink; fine bells, good spike. Kohinoor. Salmon; fine bells and spike, perfect form. * Bouquet Royale. Deep rose, with pink eye. THE HYACINTH. 81 Regina Victoria. Rosy pink; fine large spike. Susannah Maria. Salmon-rose; fine spike. DOUBLE WHITE. * La Tour d’Auvergne. Pure white; large spike. - Ne Plus Ultra. Large bells, and spike. * Prince of Waterloo. Very fine; large bells, and spike. Sir Bulwer Lytton. White, purple eye ; large spike, and enormous bells. . Anna Maria. Blush, with pink eye. Sceptre @Or. Pure white. La Vestale. Beautiful white; good spike. Don Gratuit. Large bells; good spike. Triomphe Blandina. Blush; deep-pink eye. La Déesse. Fine spike; medium bells. SINGLE RED. Josephine. Brilliant vermilion; the best red; good spike, and bells. Cavaignac. Salmon; deep rose, stripes. Howard. Orange-crimson. 6 82 THE HYACINTH. Circe. Pink, striped with carmine. Madam Hodgson. Pale pink; very fine spike. Pelissier. Scarlet; immense spike. Sultan’s Favorite. Pale rose ; pink stripes. Lady Sale. Deep red, suffused with purple; light eye. Victoria Alexandrina. Intense crimson; large bells, fine spike. Queen Victoria. Pale pink; bright-red stripes. Von Schiller. Salmon-pink; very fine. Florence Nightingale. Pale pink; carmine stripes. SINGLE BLUE. Bleu Aimable. Violet; shaded blue, fine. Argus. Blue, white eye; tube indigo blue. Charles Dickens. Gray; shaded blue. Leonidas. Clear blue; fine. Regulus. Pale blue; fine bells. Madame Coste. Deep blue; fine spike. Grand Lilas. Azure-blue. Thorwaldsen. Marbled blue; immense bells. Porcelain Sceptre. Porcelain-blue ; deep shaded.’ Nimrod. Light blue; fine spike, good bells. THE HYACINTH. 83 SINGLE WHITE. Bitcen of the Netherlands. Fine white. Madame van de Hoop. Fine bells, and spike. Snowball. Pure white; fine bells, and spike. Paix de Europe. Pure white; small bells, but fine. Fair Maid of Denmark. Splendid white ; fine bells. Alba Maxima. Pure white; large bells, and spike. Victoria Regina. Fine white; very good. Miss Burdett Coutts. Creamy blush; very fine. Gigantea. Blush; fine spike. Lady Franklin. Blush; immense spike. Grande Blanche Impériale. Blush; rose stripes. Seraphine. Blush; immense spike. Elfrida. Creamy blush ; large bells. SINGLE BLACK. Gen. Havelock. Purple, changing to black. Prince Albert. Fine bells on large spike. La Nuit. Deep purple black ; fine. Von Humboldt. Purplish black; white eye. Lamplighter. Purplish black, with white eye. 84. | ‘THR HYACINTH. SINGLE YELLOW. Ida. Fine yellow. San Francisco. Deep yellow. Victor Hugo. Fine bells, and spike. Duc de Malakoff. Straw-color, with a stripe of lake on each segment. Aurora. Straw-color; the tube splashed with pink, the segments with pink of a deeper hue on stripes. Koning van Holland. Creamy yellow, shaded with reddish orange. All these single varieties force well, and will do well in water. Perhaps the earliest hyacinth is L’Ami du Ceur, single red. THE PROPERTIES OF A GOOD HYACINTH, AS A FLORIST FLOWER, ARE, — 1. Each pip, or flower, should be round, and not ragged. 2. The petals should be broad, thick, blunt at the ends, not pointed, and reflexed enough to throw up the centre well. THE HYACINTH. 85 3. The foot-stalk should be strong, and hold the flower out stiff in a sete position, that is, facing the spectator ; and by no means weak, to allow the pip to hang with the face sloping towards the ground. The foot-stalks should also be of a length to make the pips touch each other, and no more, 4. The pips should be large: for, unless the pips be large, they cannot touch each other without very short foot-stalks ; and the flowers would be so close to the stem, that the truss itself would be no size. d. Double flowers should have the rows of petals above each other very regularly imbricated, so as to throw up the centre. 6. The outer petals, therefore, of a double flower, need not reflex, and should not reflex, so much as a single one, because the centre is raised by the second and third rows of. petals. 7. The spike should be bold, round, compact, and pyram- idal, with a number of flowers at the bottom, gradually diminishing to a single flower at the top. 8. The flower-stem should be very strong and upright ; and no part of it should be seen from the lowest flowers to the top, in consequence of the closeness of the pips to each other. 9. The colors should be bright, clear, and dense, what- 86 - THE SCILLA. ever the shade; and any better approach to scarlet, blue, or yellow, than those shades we now possess, would be highly esteemed: flowers with dark eyes, very clear outsides, and those with striped petals, would be held to be better than selfs in general, but would give no point against form. THE SCILLA. © This is a lovely genus of small bulbs, with blue, white, or pink flowers. They are mostly very early flowering, and are very effective as borders for bulb-beds or in masses. The prevailing color is blue. The flowers are produced in spikes, composed of from six to twelve pendent bells. The bulbs are generally hardy enough to endure the winter with the protection usually given to a bulb-bed, and require no further treatment than to be planted from one to two inches deep in October or November, in a rather light soil: that usually prepared for bulbs suits them well. When once planted, they should not be disturbed oftener than is required for division. As the individual bulbs are small, they should always be grown in masses, or in double or triple lines, as otherwise they are not effective. Each species should also be planted by itself. THE SCILLA. 87 Scilla Sberica is one of the most beautiful; and no word can convey an idea of the brilliant blue of the blos- soms. — Scillas are well eMapted for growth in pots, in earth or sand, and only require to be planted in November, kept in a dark, cool place until they have made plenty of roots, and then gradually inured to light and heat. They look better in pans than in pots ; and the bulbs should be planted about an inch deep, and about the same distance from each other every way. The principal varieties are Sortta Srperica.— This species is one of the hardiest and best. As its name implies, it is a native of Siberia. The flowers are brilliant, intense blue, and produced, one to four, on a short spike. -SCILLA PRZCOX. — This species has flowers of the same brilliant blue color as the last. It is a native of Germany, and more tender than S. Siberica. It was introduced in 1790, but is not common. ScILLA CERNUA.— This species bears a great resem- blance to the English harebell (Hyacinthus, Scilla, or My- ogalum, non scriptus), but differs slightly botanically. It is a native of Spain, and has been long in cultivation. The 88 THE SCILLA. flawers are drooping, pale pink, or purple. It requires winter protection in the Northern States. SCILLA CAMPANULATA. — This is one of the finest species ; common and hardy, although a native of Spain. The plant is very floriferous and effective: the color is blue; but there are pink and white varieties, of which the latter is the best white squill in cultivation. _ SciLLA PATULA.— This species has dark-purple, pink, or white flowers, and greatly resembles S, cernua, but, unlike it, has flowers all round the spike. It is a native of Spain, and is generally hardy. S. AM@NULA has starry, blue flowers, which are produced before the leaves. It greatly resembles S. Siberica, and is a native of the north of Europe. The bulb produces several flower-scapes, which are from one to three flowered. S. amana.— This is one of the best species, and, though a native of the Levant, is generally hardy. The flowers are bright blue, produced on an erect spike. Introduced in 1596. | S. VERNA.— This species is a native of England. The flowers are blue, pink, or white, and fragrant. They do best. in moist, sandy soil. S. AUTUMNALIS. — Another British species, growing freely in sandy soil. Flowers pink in September. THE SCILLA. 89 S. BiroLtia.— A very pretty species, native of France, with blue flowers, and white and pink varieties, all of which are desirable. It requires no care beyond planting in sandy loam. S. Peruviana.— A fine species, native of Italy and Spain. It has blue or white flowers, in large, erect trusses. The soil must be light and sandy, and plenty of water must be given when in growth. It is probably only half-hardy. ScItLa ESCULENTA. — This plant is a native of Missouri, and produces a spike of pretty blue flowers. It is not hardy in New England.* The following species are only valuable in a collection. Most of them are tender, and none particularly desirable. ' S. umbellata. — Native of Pyrenees, introduced in 1822; flowers blue. S. Inlio hyacinthus. —Native of south of Europe, intro- duced in 1597; flowers blue. S. brevifolia. — Native of Cape of Good Hope, intro- duced in 1811; flowers white. S. corymbosa. — Native of Cape of Good Hope, intro- duced in 1793; flowers pink. S. Italica. — Native of Switzerland, introduced in 1605 ; flowers purplish. * See Cumassia esculenta. 90 THE URGINEA. —THE MYOGALUM. S. Lusitanica.— Native of Portugal, introduced in 1777; flowers blue. | S. hyacinthoides.— Native of Madeira, introduced in 1585; flowers lead-color. There are other species of little cultural value. * THE URGINEA. This plant is also known as Scilla maritima and Orni- thogalum maritimum. It is a native of the shores of the Mediterranean, and is of some officinal value. It is not uncommon in cultivation, but is not hardy. The bulb is large; the flowers, greenish-white, on a very long spike, are produced in summer; and the foliage grows during the winter. The bulbs should be grown in sand; but they are hardly worthy of culture. THE MYOGALUM. This name has been given to the plant commonly known as ‘* British harebell,’ and botanically as Scilla, or Hya- cinthus non scriptus. The flowers are blue nodding, and somewhat resemble a * See “ Garden Flowers.”’ THE NARCISSUS. 91 hyacinth, and also are very like those of Scilla cernua. It is an elegant little flower, requiring very little care, save to be planted in a damp, shady spot, and left to take care of itself. It is a well-known wild-flower in England, but is little known in this country. The name “‘harebell” is a strange misnomer ; although the flowers have a slight resem- blance to the campanula, usually so called. ‘There are varieties with pink and white flowers; but they are not as desirable as the species. The plant ‘would probably prove hardy with slight protection. THE NARCISSUS. This is a very extensive family of well-known and pop- ular garden-flowers. ‘Their culture is very simple, as they 92 THE NARCISSUS. thrive in any good garden-loam, and need little care after planting. All the species are hardy in England, 7o most of them thrive out of doors in the Middle and Southern states ; but many of the most beautiful, and especially the polyanthus group, are not hardy enough to perfectly stand a New-England winter, though they often survive unin- jured. The hardy species should be planted in clumps, the bulbs about two inches apart each way, and three inches deep, in good garden-soil, in October; and need not be disturbed oftener than once in three or four years, and not then unless they have crowded each other by the production of offsets. If the soil is wet, they are benefited by the addi- tion of a little sand placed around each bulb. They all propagate well by offsets, and may also be increased by seed, which, in most species, ripens plentifully. ‘Many species, especially those of the polyanthus tribe, are often grown in the house for winter-flowering. They may be successfully grown in water, sand, or earth; and require the same treatment as hyacinths. The jonquil is a species of narcissus, easily grown in the house or garden, and always a favorite for its bright, fra- grant flowers. The chief species of narcissus are — THE NARCISSUS. 93 N. porticus. — This very common and beautiful species is a native of Southern Europe. There are many varieties, including double and semi-double; but all are easily dis- tinguished from other species by the deep-purple ring in the centre of the color, round the margin of the cup. The flowers are solitary, white, with a yellow cup, bordered by red, purple, or orange. This species needs a deep, rather moist soil, and in such never fails to expand its flowers. In poor soils, the flowers are very apt to dry up in the bud-sheath, which they do not appear to have strength to break. The double varieties are more liable to this disease than the sincle. All the varieties are perfectly hardy, and, once planted, may remain undisturbed for years. N. Birtorus.— The origin of this species is unknown: it has, however, been a garden-flower for several hundred years. It resembles the species last described, but is readily distinguished by having two or three flowers ona stem, and by the rim of the cup being white. The flowers are handsome, and very fragrant. The species and vari- eties are perfectly hardy, though not very common. N. gracitis. — A common and pretty pale-yellow species, with a deeper-colored variety: both hardy, and growing freely in any garden-soil. 94 THE NARCISSUS. N. sutsocoprum.— This is the well-known and hand- some hoop-petticoat narcissus. The flowers are bright yellow, with wavy margin, and are very ornamental. Though a native of Portugal, it generally proves hardy, but needs to be a little favored by planting it in a sheltered situation. : | There is another species nearly allied to this, known as N. Cantabricus, or Corbularia albicans, or Cantabricus, which has white flowers, and which is desirable. N. TENUIFOLIUS is a closely allied species of smaller growth, which is rather tender. N. PSEUDO-NARCISSUS. — This is the common daffodil, too well known to need description. It sports into many varieties, and is usually found in a double form. The bulb only requires to be planted in good soil, and to be undis- turbed. N. minor. — A pretty little species, with many varieties, as nanus, pumilus, munimus, all with bright-yellow flowers and dwarf habit, perfectly hardy, and very ornamental ; na- tive of Spain, but long an inhabitant of the garden. N. Bicotor. — This species differs from the common daffodil by the difference of color between the cup and remainder of the flower; the former being all shades of © te a THE NARCISSUS. 95 cream or white in different varieties, the latter being yellow. The stalk is round, while that of the common daffodil is flat. It is hardy, and only requires simple garden-cul- ture. ; N. moscuatus. — A pretty species, with whitish flowers ; in some of the varieties, very drooping ; often known as white Spanish daffodil. It is hardy, but needs rich soil to bloom well: Introduced from Spain in 1759. _ N. masor. — The species commonly called great yellow Spanish daffodil has been very showy in our garden for a number of years. It thrives in a deep sandy loam, and is a great improvement on the common daffodil. N. monranus. — This is a beautiful species, with white, graceful, drooping flowers. It is of rather difficult culture, needing a deep, rich, moist soil, and a sheltered situation. It is a native of the Pyrenees, and has long been known as a garden-flower. N. sonquitta. — This name is from juncus, a diminutive, signifying ‘little rush ;” and the species is one of the most popular of the family. The flowers of all the varieties are bright yellow, faerane and freely produced. All are well suited for window-plants, as the flowers seldom fail to ex- pand, and continue a long time in perfection. A bulb-case 96 THE NARCISSUS. planted with jonquils is a charming winter ornament for the parlor. N. razetra.— Under this head we must include all the varieties of the polyanthus narcissus. The name is a dimin- utive, from tazza, “‘a cup;” and its application is obvious. The many varieties are all handsome, and only differ in the colors of the cup and petals, and in sturdiness of growth. The earliest variety is Gloriosa, white,with yellow cup. Other fine varieties are Bazelman major, white, yellow cup ; Bazel- man manor, white and yellow; Bouquet-triomphant, white, orange cup; Grand monarque, white, citron cup; Grand pri- mo, white, citron cup; Grand soleil d’or, yellow, orange cup; Luna, pure white; Newton, yellow; Queen of the Netherlands, very large, white; Staten-General, lemon and yellow. | 3 When grown in the open air in New England, these bulbs are apt to start in the autumn, and have the shoot killed in the winter. The only remedy is to take them out of the ground when the foliage has decayed, and keep them in‘ a cool place till November, when they may be replanted. They also need a sheltered situation, and to be well covered with leaves during the winter. For house-culture they are charming subjects, requiring the same treatment prescribed for hyacinths. THE NARCISSUS. 97 N. Iraricus. — This pretty species and its varieties are not hardy. The flower is white and very pretty, but is sel- dom seen in cultivation. N. papyraceus. — This species, usually known as the paper-white narcissus, is very ornamental, but not hardy. It, however, does well in the greenhouse, and blooms very early in the winter. The variety called ‘“‘ Double Roman ” has peculiar yellow and white mixed flowers, and blooms about Christmas. It is very. valuable as a parlor-plant and for early forcing. There are many other species,* — Loudon enumerating about fifty, — and innumerable seedling varieties: all are worthy of cultivation, and will well repay the care of the amateur. The fanciful divisions of the family proposed by some botanists have not been adopted, and all are now known as narcissus. * See “ Garden Flowers.” THE SNOWDROP, LEUCOJUM, CROCUS. THE SNOWDROP. ONG before the balmy breezes of spring remind us that it cannot be always winter, the snowdrop wakens from its sleep, and glad- dens our eyes by its simple beauty and sweet perfume. Later in the season, when the garden is gay with flowers, it would be almost unnoticed: but for long, dreary days, it is the flower of spring; and, as such, we love and cherish it. The snowdrop thrives in any good garden-soil enriched by well-rotted manure or leaf-mould. It will live and bloom in almost any situation, and will endure a great amount of hard treatment before it is finally killed: but few flowers better repay care and good culture. The bulbs should be planted in September or October, the earlier the better, to enable them to make good roots and growth before the 98 | in THE SNOWDROP. 99 ground freezes up. They should be set about two or three inches deep, and about an inch apart, in triple lines or in clumps, as, if planted singly, they are not conspicuous. The : bulbs should not be kept long out of the ground, and are not benefited by frequent transplanting. Some writers advise annually replanting them after the foliage decays, and the removal of all offsets. This may be advantageous if increase is the object; but our experience has shown that it is best to disturb the clumps only when the increase of offsets renders them too large or crowded, or when the bulbs grow out of the ground, which they do in a few years in a border, unless the soil is annually top-dressed. The flowers of all species appear very early in the season ; generally, however, in New England, not before the first of February, even in most favorable situations and in most sheltered places; and continue in perfection a very long time, closing in cloudy, inclement weather, and expanding in sunshine. By planting in different exposures, a succession may be had from February to May. The single variety expands earlier than the double, and is followed by the large Crimean snowdrop, which is larger than either. The single snowdrop is a native of England, and is found in shady woods where there is a rich deposit of vegetable 100 THE LEUCOJUM. matier or leaf-mould. The double form is a garden variety. The species are G. NIVALIS. — The single snowdrop with double variety ; and G. pLicaTus. — The Crimean or Russian snowdrop, which is twice as large as the common species, of the same color, with broad leaves, and flower-stems nine inches high. THE LEUCCOJUM. All the species of this plant are commonly known as snowflakes, and differ but little save in the time of bloom- ing. The bulbs are rather large, and only require to be planted in good garden-soil, where they take care of themselves, and bloom freely every year. They propagate readily by offsets, and also ripen seed: almost all are hardy enough to stand a New-England winter. The species are L. (ErmnosmMA) VERNUM.— A very pretty bulb; much resembling the snowdrop, but flowering a month later. It is a little tender, and needs a rather peaty soil to bloom it successfully. It is a native of Germany and Italy, and has been in cultivation since 1596. THE LEUCOJUM. 101 There is a variety sometimes called L. Carpathicum, which differs from the species in having yellow spots on the flower instead of green, and in having two flowers on one stalk. L. zstivum. — This pretty plant is common in gardens. The flowers are white, with bright-green spots, the foliage having a yellowish tinge. It is a native of England and other parts of Europe, and is perfectly hardy in any situa- tion. L. pulchellum is only a variety of this species. The other species of Leucojum have been called Acts by many botanists, and are readily distingushed from those above described by the narrowness of the leaves and the smallness of the flowers. ‘They are by no means as orna- mental as those above described, and are less hardy. L. (Acts) auTuMNALIS. — This is a pretty little species, with pink flowers, produced in autumn before the leaves. It is a native of Spain and Algiers, and requires green- house treatment. L. (Acts) TRICHOPHYLLUM. — This is a small species, growing only a few inches high. The flowers are white, and produced in spring. It requires greenhouse culture and a sandy soil. 102 THE CROCUS. L. (Acts) rosrum.— The flowers of this species are rose- color, drooping; produced, three or four in succession, in autumn. It requires greenhouse protection, sandy loam, and to be kept hot and dry when at rest. A species called grandiflorum has large, white, drooping flowers. THE CROCUS. This pretty spring-flowering plant is common in every garden; and like the snowdrop, which it succeeds in its period of flowering, it will endure a vast amount of ill treatment, but is none the less benefited by careful culture. The crocus is primarily divided into two classes, — those flowering in spring and those blooming in autumn. Of the number of species, there is great question among botanists. Loudon enumerates sixteen. Mrs. Loudon, in her charming work on * Bulbs,” speaks of ninety species and varieties. Sweet, in his ‘‘ Catalogue of Plants,” gives but twenty ; and the catalogues of modern florists almost ignore the species, but give us scores of seminal varieties. Indeed, such has been the improvement in this flower since it came into the culturist’s hands, that the varieties exceed in beauty any of the species, most of which are now found only in botanic THE CROCUS. 103 gardens or with amateur collectors, if, indeed, many are not lost to cultivation. The crocus is a native of Europe and Middle Asia, but has from a very early period been domesticated in the garden. The culture is only to plant them in a rich, light, damp soil, but where no water will stand around the bulbs, and leave them to take care of themselves. ‘They are, however, benefited by an annual top-dressing of well-rotted manure. The bulbs should be planted three inches deep, and should not be disturbed oftener than once in three or four years, and then only if they are growing out of the ground. When it is necessary to remove them, it should be done as soon as the foliage dies; and the bulbs should be imme- diately replanted. There are very few hardy bulbs that are improved by the annual drying and transplanting process. A bed of crocus does not arrive at its full beauty until the second or third year after planting; and, after that, it will continue to improve for many years, if the bulbs were not originally planted too close together, and thus become crowded. The proper distance to plant the bulbs is one inch apart each way. It is to be remembered, however, that the crocus grows and increases upwards, and not laterally. 104 THE CROCUS. Crocus do not thrive well under the shade of trees, as they do not seem to mature their foliage before the sunlight is shut off from them. Imported bulbs should be planted as soon as possible in the autumn; the earlier the better. There is no better plant for clumps, lines, masses, or even whole beds, for the early spring-garden; and very striking effects may be produced by judicious planting. With this flower, as with most others, there is nothing gained by mixing varieties or colors: each color should be in a mass or line by itself, and should contrast strongly with those on either side. We clip the following directions for planting beds from an article in an English magazine : — ‘¢ Very fine beds may be formed by planting a double row of Mont Blanc, white, six inches from the edge; six inches from that, again, a double row of Prince Albert, blue; then, at a like distance, Dutch crocus, yellow; a fourth, of La Majesteuse, striped; a fifth, of Othello, dark violet; and Giant Yellow in the centre. This will be splendid for a circular bed seven feet across. For a border six feet wide, we have the first row six inches from the edge; a double one, white, Queen Victoria: the others being, second, Cloth of Gold, yellow; third, Garibaldi, purple; fourth, irs THE CROCUS. 105 Aletia Wilheimena, white, flamed with violet ; fifth, New Large Yellow ; sixth, Vulcan, deep purple. The second row is one foot from the first, and so on; early tulips being planted between each. Again: we have a border twelve feet wide, to be planted as follows, in twenty-four rows: Queen Vic- torta, white ; Captain Cook, purple; Cloth of Gold, yellow ; } Argus, violet, white margin; David Rizzio, dark purple; Sulphureus, brimstone-yellow ; Mont Blanc, white; Prince Albert, purple; Large Yellow; Cloth of Silver, white, pur- ple stripes; Ne Plus Ultra, blue, tipped with white; Yellow Dutch ; Princess of Wales, dark purple; Caroline Chisholm, white; New Large Yellow; Albion, blue, white-and-blue stripes; Van Speyk, feathered, blue and white; Yellow Dutch ; Lord Raglan, dark blue; Diana, white; Cloth of Gold ; Lilaceus superbus, light violet, white margin; Versi- color, white, purple veins; Large Yellow ; Grande Vedette.” If, after blooming, the crocus-bed is wanted for other flowers, the bulbs may be removed in clumps, with balls of earth, to a reserve garden, after blooming, and, in autumn, be retransplanted to their original position. A good plan, however, is to plant the crocus in double rows; the first, six inches from the edge of the border, and the next a foot from the edge, and so on; which leaves space for early 106 THE CROCUS. tulips, which are done flowering in time to have their places supplied by bedding-plants: and thus the crocuses are not disturbed, and their foliage renders the tulips more effective. For house-culture the crocus is well adapted, and does well grown in earth or water: bloomed in a pan of white sand, the yellow and purple varieties are very pretty. In England, there are glasses made especially for crocus culture ; but we do not remember to have seen them in this country. Crocus, snowdrops, and similar bulbs, may be had in bloom about Christmas by taking up the most promising clumps from the border about the last of October, and pot- ting them in small pots, in leaf-mould. Water them, and keep them in a cold frame till well established; then place them in a cool greenhouse, on shelves near the glass, where | they can have plenty of air in pleasant weather. Water them well; and, about the last of November, remove them to a light, airy shelf in a greenhouse, where the thermome- ter registers 50° at night. If they do not advance suf- ciently rapidly, increase the heat; but always bear in mind that air and light, and not too high a temperature, are the conditions of success. Crocus are easily raised from THE CROCUS. 107 seed, which ripens freely. ‘The seeds should be gathered just before the pods burst, kept about a month in the pods, and then be sown in drills in the garden. If the soil is rich (and it cannot be too rich), many will bloom the third year. The crocus seeds under ground; the pods coming to the surface only when the seeds are ripe. Some of the species which ie the parents of the garden varieties are C. biflorus.— This species, commonly known as_ the Scotch (though why would be difficult to say) or twin- flowering crocus, is a native of the Crimea, and is very hardy, and early flowering. It will grow with little care, but is impatient of removal. The flowers are twin; of a white, striped with purple ; and remain long in perfection. C. vernus. —This is the wild English species, though probably only naturalized, and not indigenous. The flower is pale lilac, varying to white and purple, but never yellow. It ripens seed freely. C. versicolor. — This is the parent of many of the fine seedling varieties. The flower is purple and white, and very fragrant. ; C. Susianus.— The cloth-of-gold crocus has been an inhabitant of the garden for many hundred years. The 108 | THE CROCUS. flowers are yellow inside, with dark lines on the outer part of the petals: they expand early in spring, after the Scotch crocus, and before the larger-flowered varieties. It is a native of Southern Europe. C. luteus. — This is the well-known large yellow crocus, so effective from its brilliant color on sunny days in spring. It is a native of the Levant, but has been in cultivation since 1620. In England, this species, as indeed all yellow crocus, is attacked by sparrows, who, in a pure spirit of mischief, tear the flowers to pieces, and spoil the beauty of the bed. In this country, however, we experience little trouble from this cause. There are many other species, among which we may mention C. nunimus, reticulatus, lagenceflorus, sulphureus, suavolens, Imperati, and the autumn-flowering species, sativus, or saffron crocus, producing the saffron of commerce, which is the stigma of the flower; C. serotinus, speciosus, and autwmnalis, which differ from the spring- blooming species in the season of flowering, and require the same general culture. ae \ . (il Wi y, & LNW A op } y Wf Up S S&S EING wholly destitute of the delicate grace of many’ bulbs, the tulip is ever attractive K from its beauty, and brilliancy of color, and ; “\ delicate markings. Probably no flower was ever a subject of commercial speculation, or rather gam- bling, to such an extent; and the history of the ‘* Tulipo- mania” in the latter part of the sixteenth and early part of the seventeenth centuries, when as much as five hundred pounds were paid for a single bulb, is a most readable chapter of extravagant delusion. Although the mania has long since been seen in its true light, yet, even at the pres- eut time, larger sums are paid for tulips than for any other 109 110 THE TULIP. bulb; and the raiser of a new and really fine tulip is sure to find a profit in the operation. 7 All our garden tulips, that is, ‘‘ show varieties,” are the offspring of 7’. Gesneriana. The other species, however, are very curious, and some very beautiful, and are well worthy of a place in the garden. While volumes have been written upon the culture of the tulip, its successful growth is by no means difficult. The beds are usually prepared four feet wide, and excavated about thirty inches deep: about six inches of well-rotted horse or sheep dung is placed in the bottom, and the bed filled up, about four inches above the former level, with light rich soil. In this the bulbs are planted in October, six inches from each other, and so deep that the point of the bulb is two inches below the surface; the holes being made with a common dibble, and filled in with fine sand, in which the bulb is to be planted. The bulbs should be set with reference to their habit ; the tall growers in the middle, and those of lower growth on the outside. During winter, the bed should be covered with a layer of coarse litter or tan, to protect the bulbs from severe frost. This should be removed in early spring, and the surface of the ground gently stirred. As the > THE TULIP. Lig plants come into bloom, they should be protected by an awning, to preserve them longer in perfection. After the flowers have faded, the awning should be removed, and the plants allowed to ripen the foliage. When this is done, the bulbs should be taken up carefully, dried, and kept in a dry, cool place until the season for planting again arrives. Tulips will, however, grow in any deep, rich, light soil. They are very impatient of standing water, and do not im- prove by being left in the ground from year to year: indeed, if not annually taken up, they ‘“‘run out,” to use the gardener’s term; that is, the choicer and more delicate varieties die out, and the stronger and coarser revert to the old red color. Much that is curious might be written upon the disappointed hopes of the raisers of seedling tu- lips ; for the chances of success are very small, and those of failure very great. Seedlings bloom in about five years, and the modes taken to make them “ break ” are very curi- ous. Tulips are divided into three classes, — bizarres, by- bloemens, and roses. In the former, the ground-color is yellow ; and in the two latter, white. A chief point of per- fection is the purity of this ground-color: if at all marked or cloudy, the flower is poor. The base of the flower | inside should be clear; that is, none of the marking should a THE TULIP. run down to the bottom of the cup. The stamens should also be white or yellow, according to the class. Each class is further divided, as regards marking, into *¢ flamed and feathered.” If the marking of the flower is confined to the edge of the petals, it is feathered ; but, if a dark broad stripe runs down the centre, it is famed. In every case, the colors must be well defined. THE PROPERTIES OF A GOOD TULIP, AS A FLORIST’S FLOWER, ARE, 1. The cup should form, when quite expanded, from half to a third of a hollow ball. To do this, the petals must be six 1n number, broad at the ends, smooth at the edges; and the divisions between the petals must scarcely show an indenture. | 2. The three inner petals should set close to the three outer ones; and the whole should be broad enough to allow of the fullest expansion without quartering, as it is called ; that is, exhibiting any vacancy between the petals. 3. The petals should be thick, smooth, and stiff, and keep their form well. 4. The ground should be clear and distinct, whether THE TULIP. 113 white or yellow. The least stain, even at the lower end of the petal, would render a tulip comparatively value- less. 5. Roses, bybloemens, and bizarres are the three classes into which tulips are now divided. The first have a white ground, and crimson or pink or scarlet marks; the second have white grounds, and purple, lilac, or black marks; and the last have yellow grounds, with any colored marks. 6. Whatever be the disposition of colors, or marks, upon a tulip, all the six petals should be marked alike, and be, therefore, perfectly uniform. 7. The feathered flowers should have an even, close feathering all round; and whether narrow or wide, light or heavy, should reach far enough round the petals to form, when they are expanded, an unbroken edging all round. 8. If the fower have any marking besides the feathering at the edge, it should be a beam, or bold mark down the centre, but not reaching the bottom, or near the bottom, of the cup: the mark, or beam, must be similar in all the six petals. 9. Flowers not feathered, and with flame only, must have no marks on the edges of the flowers. None of the color must break through to the edge. The color may be : | 114 THE TULIP. disposed in any form, so that it be perfectly uniform in all the petals, and does not go too near the bottom. 10. The color, whatever it may be, must be dense and decided. Whether it be delicate and light, or bright or dark, it must be distinct in its outline, and not shaded or flushed or broken. 11. The height should be eighteen to thirty-six inches: the former is right for the outside row in a bed, and the latter is right for the highest row. 12. The purity of the white and the brightness of the yellow should be permanent; that is to say, should stand until the petals actually fall. While a bed of choice tulips may be very expensive, a fine show may be made with but a trifling outlay. The following lists are given by the best English authority, — the one, dividing the bulbs into classes; the other, arran- ging them according to color. Those mentioned in the following list are not expensive, and are of vigorous constitution. BIZARRES. Albion, Bizarre, Cato, Crusader, Duke of Devonshire, Duke of Sutherland, Dr. Horner, Fabius, Garrick, Ibra- Laie THE TULIP. 115 him Pacha, Lord Raglan, Marshal Soult, Mr. F. Perkins, Omar Pacha, Pilot, Polyphemus, Royal Sovereign, Vivid. BYBLOEMENS. Alexander Magnus, Addison, Bloemast, Chellaston Beau- ty, David, Earl of Haddington, General Bamoselde, George Glenny, Grace Darling, Lord Denman, Maid of Orleans, Queen of Violets, Triomphe de Lisle, Victoria Regina. ROSES. Aglaia, Baron Gesdoff, Countess of Wilton, Camise de Croix, Claudiana, Duchess of Kent, La Belle Nannette, Lady Stanley, Madame Vestris, Naomi, Undine, Ponceau de trés blanc, Triomphe Royal. ) Many of the self or one-colored tulips are very showy in masses ; and the double varieties, if of good color, are very effective. The parrot-tulips are hybrids between 7. cornuta and Z’. sylvestris, and are well worthy a place in the garden. The charming early Duc Van Thol, both in the single and double state, is an indispensable ornament of the early spring-border. 116 THE TULIP. Some of the smaller early tulips force well in sand and earth, requiring the treatment already prescribed for narcis- sus and hyacinths. We have in our garden a charming little tulip of a vivid yellow, deliciously fragrant, and pro- ducing two or three flowers on a stem, which we received from Holland a few years since under the name of 7. fragrans. It is perfectly hardy, flowers freely, and remains long in perfection. | | The following list will be found useful to those who plant tulips tor general effect of color : — YELLOW. Canary Bird. — Rich pure yellow ; nine inches high. Pottebakker Yellow. — Yellow self; nine to twelve inches. Due Van Thol. — Yellow, early, and dwarf; four to six inches. Yellow Prince. — A good yellow ; nine inches. Thomas Moore. — Orange, distinct ; nine inches. WHITES. Pottebakker. — White, very fine ; nine to twelve inches. Luna.— A fine variety. THE TULIP. Lie Queen Victoria. — Small, fine form, white and crimson ; nine inches. Jagt Van Delft. —White self, fine form ; nine inches. La Laitére. — White, with water-blue tint ; nine inches. SCARLET. L'yphon. — Crimson-scarlet, fine ; nine inches. Duc Van Thol. — Scarlet ; six inches. Cramoisi fidele. — Intense scarlet. Couleur Cramoisie. — Crimson-scarlet. Vermillon brillant. — The best scarlet; six to nine inches. La Belle Alliance. — Rich crimson-scarlet; six to nine inches. BLUE SHADES. Florida. — Purplish violet ; nine inches. Berangaria. — Purple, with a little mauve. Archas. — Violet-purple, lilac belt. Caiman. —Violet or puce, lilac margin. Hie Plaisante. — Violet, slight rosy tint. Wouverman. — Violet-purple. 118 THE TULIP. FEATHERED, STRIPED, AND TINTED. Duc Van Thol. — Red, orange border, early ; four to six inches. Keizerkroon. — Yellow ground, flaked with vivid scarlet. Standard Royal. — White ground, flaked with carmine. Alida Marie. — White tipped, and flaked with cerise; very fine. Bride of Haarlem. — White, bordered with crimson. fiosa Mundi. — White-shaded rose. Rose Luisante. — Rosy crimson, peach edges. Duc Major.— Rich red, margin orange-yellow. Rose Tendre. —White feathered, and striped with crimson. Roi Pepin. — White striped, and flaked with crimson. Ma Plus Aimable.— Brouzy red, flaked with orange. Standard of Gold. — Yellow, crimson tip. © DOUBLE TULIPS. Tournesol. — Scarlet and yellow. Yellow Rose. — Yellow. La Candeur. —The best white. Rex Rubrorum. — Crimson-scarlet. THE TULIP. 119 Imperator Rubrorum. — Crimson-scarlet. Peony Gold. —Golden-yellow, feathered with crimson. Couronne Pourpre.— Rich crimson. Mariage de ma Fille. — White-striped, violet-rose. Overwinner. — White, barred and feathered, with violet- purple. Gloria Solis. — Crimson, yellow border. Duc Van Thol. — Red and yellow. Among the species of tulips we may enumerate T. biflora. — The smallest of the genus, with white flowers and yellow centre; a native of Russia, and perfectly hardy. T. tricolor.— A fine species, with white flowers, tinged with green and yellow. Native of the Altai Mountains. _ . Celsiana. —A handsome species, with yellow flowers. Native of Siberia. T. sylvestris. — A common yellow species, with drooping, fragrant flowers. A native of France. T. oculis solis. —A fine species, nearly allied to 7. Ges- neriana, but easily distinguished by the black centre.