About the end of this month is the period for all of these that are
intended for the Green-house to be potted. We specified some of the
former last month, and will here enumerate a few others.
_Babìana_, a genus of small bulbs, with pretty blue, red, and yellow
flowers. _B. distíca_, pale blue flowers in two ranks. _B. strícta_,
flowers blue and white. _B. tubiflòra_ is beautiful, colour white and
red. _B. plicàta_ has sweet-scented pale blue flowers. There are about
twenty species of them, and they grow from six to twelve inches high.
Four inch pots are sufficient for them.
_Gladìolus_, Corn-flag, a genus of above fifty species. There are
several very showy plants amongst them, and a few very superb. _G.
floribúndus_, large pink and white flowers. _G. cardinàlis_, flowers
superb scarlet, spotted with white. _G. byzantìnus_, large purple
flowers. _G. blándus_, flowers of a blush rose colour, and handsome. _G.
cuspidàtus_, flowers white and purple. _G. psittácinus_ is the most
magnificent of the genus, both in size and beauty of flower; the flowers
are striped with green, yellow, and scarlet, about four inches diameter,
in great profusion, on a stem about two feet high, and though rare in
Europe may be seen in some collections in this country. The beauty of
this genus is all centred in the flowers; the leaves are similar to
_Iris_.
_Ixia_, a genus containing about twenty-five species of very
free-flowering bulbs. _I. monadélpha_, flowers blush and green. _I.
leucántha_, flowers large, white. _I. capitàta_, flowers in heads of a
white and almost black colour. _I. cònica_, flowers orange and velvet.
_I. columellàris_ is beautifully variegated with purple, blush, and
vermilion colours. The flower stems are from six to twenty-four inches
high.
_Sparáxis_, a beautiful genus of twelve species, closely allied to the
last, but more varied in colour. _S. grandiflòra striàta_ is striped
with purple ground blush. _S. versícolor_, colours crimson, dark purple,
and yellow. _S. anemonæflòra_ is of various colours, and very similar to
_Anemòne_.
_Tritònia_, a genus of about twenty-five species. Few of them deserve
culture in regard to their beauty. _T. crocàta_ is in our collections,
as _I. crocàta_, which is amongst the finest, and _T. zanthospìla_ has
white flowers curiously spotted with yellow.
_Watsònia_, a genus containing several species of showy flowers, several
of which are in our collections, under the genus _Gladíolus_, but the
most of the species may easily be distinguished from it by their flat
shell formed bulbs. _W. iridifòlia_ is the largest of the genus, and has
flowers of a flesh colour. _W. ròsea_ is large growing, the flowers are
pink, and on the stem in a pyramid form. _W. humilis_ is a pretty red
flowering species. _W. fúlgida_, once _Antholyza fúlgens_, has fine
bright scarlet flowers. _W. rùbens_ is an esteemed red flowering
species, but scarce.
These six genera are in general cultivation. There are several of others
of merit that our limits will not admit of inserting. We have no doubt
there are some splendid species that have not come under our
observation, and others which may be obtained from the Cape of Good Hope
not known in any collection. Many hundreds of superb bulbs indigenous
to that country, and of the same nature and habit of the above, have not
been seen in collections. The flowers of those which we have specified
are from one to four inches in diameter, ringent, tubular, or
campanulate. Pots from four to seven inches diameter, according to the
size of the roots, will be large enough. Give them very little water
until they begin to grow; then supply moderately, and keep them near the
light. Of the Holland or Dutch bulbs, the _Hyacinth_ is the favourite to
bloom in the Green-house. A few of the _Tulip_, _Narcissus_, _Iris_, and
_Crocus_, may for variety be also planted with any other that curiosity
may dictate. When these are grown in pots, the soil should be
four-eighths loam, two-eighths leaf mould, one-eighth decomposed manure,
one-eighth sand, well compounded; plant in pots from four to seven
inches, keep the crown of the bulb above the surface of the soil, except
of the Tulip, which should be covered two inches. When these roots are
potted, plunge them in the garden about three inches under ground; mark
out a space sufficient to contain them; throw out the earth about four
inches deep, place the pots therein, covering them with earth to the
above depth, making it in the form of a bed. Leave a trench all round to
carry off the rain. By so doing, the bulbs will root strong, the soil
will be kept in a congenial state about them, and they will prove far
superior than if done in the common method. Lift them from this bed on
the approach of frost, or not later than the second week of December,
wash the pots and take them to the Green-house.