This bulbous plant is a native of the tropical region of South America,
and deserves a more general culture, for all the varieties of this
genus are very handsome, _magnificent_ is not too strong a term to apply
to many of them. They may be raised from seed by sowing early in spring
in a finely sifted soil of leaf mold and garden loam. But great care is
needful, and then one has to wait the following year for the flowers. It
is better to obtain the bulbs in the spring all started, then they will
bloom during the summer. Mine had several leaves, and I removed them
from the thumb pots to five-inch size, which I judged would be
sufficiently large for them. They need plenty of light and heat and
plenty of air. To prolong the flowering an occasional watering with
manure water should be given. In the autumn they must be gradually dried
off and the bulbs kept in a warm, dry place, secure from frost. They can
be potted any time from February to May. The bulb must be planted so
that its top will be level with the surface of the soil, and watered
sparingly until the leaves appear.
I will describe a few "superlatively beautiful." _Cinderella_, pure
white with pink band. _Brilliant_, bright crimson, margined with rose,
rich violet throat. _Rose d'Amour_, rose carmine, cream colored throat,
zone of cerise. _Nero_, dark purple, white throat. _Princess Royal_,
tube and edges white, throat mottled with dark blue. _Lamartine_, very
beautifully undulated, magnificent shape; white bordered rose limb,
veering to cochineal, marbled with white and elegantly veined with rose.
_Boule de Neige_, pure snowy white, an abundant bloomer. These are only
a few selections from the many, but sufficient to give you an idea of
the variety of colors.