ALSTRÖMERIA

(in honour of Baron Alströmer, a Swedish botanist and friend of Linnæus). O RD. Amaryllid aceæ. Tall handsome hardy or half-hardy tuberous rooted plants, with leafy stems and terminal umbels of richly-coloured flowers; perianth regular, six-parted, subcam panulate; inner segments narrower, two of which are somewhat tubulose at the base; stamens included within, and inserted with perianth; stigma trifid. Leaves linear, lanceolate, or ovate, and resupinate, or inverted in position by the twisting of the petiole. Cultivation: Few plants need le attention to grow them succe fully, either in pots or planted out. The best position for those kinds which succeed outside is a deep and dry, sloping, sheltered border, in a compost of two-parts peat and leaf soil, and one loam with some sharp sand. Water freely if severe drought sets in; a surface covering of common mo , or cut fern in winter, will prove an advantage. They are very effective in ma es. Propagation: They may be increased by seed or root division. Sow the former when ripe, or in early spring, thinly in pans, pots, or boxes, and place in a cool house or frame, so that they will receive some fostering in their early stages. The seedlings should be pricked out singly, when large enough to handle, and grown on till well established under gla . A mixture of peat, leaf mould, and sandy loam, is the best compost in which to sow the seeds and grow the young plants. When sufficiently established, they may be placed in a warm sheltered spot outside, and about 1ft. apart. The fasciculated ma es of fleshy roots are readily separated into as many pieces as there are crowns; this operation may be performed during September or October, or February and March; but it must be done carefully. Except for the sake of increase, the le they are disturbed the better. They are excellent subjects for pot culture (some can only be managed thus, unle planted out in a house), and may be potted as early in the autumn as po ible, in 8in., 10in., or 12in. pots. Thorough drainage is e ential; arrange the crocks carefully, and place a layer of thin turfy loam over them. A compost of equal parts turfy loam, leaf mold, and fibrous peat, with an abundance of sand, will suit them admirably. Water sparingly at first, but when root-action is fully resumed, they must never be allowed to get dry. Support the stems by staking when they require it, and just previous to flowering, top-dre with some rotten manure and leaf soil. Occasional syringings will be nece ary to keep down red spider, especially if the atmosphere is very dry. As the plants finish flowering, and the leaves fade, gradually diminish the supply of water until the stems are quite down, when they may be placed somewhere out of the way, free from frost, for the winter, but not kept dry enough to make them shrivel. In repotting, as much of the old soil as is practicable should be removed, without seriously disturbing the roots, and the plants shifted into larger or the same sized pots, according to their condition. Alströmeri as were at one time much more largely grown than they are at present, and the genus was represented in nearly every garden. IMG:7081556231692414330_i_058a.jpg: F IG . 66. A LSTR ö MERIA AURANTIACA , showing Habit and Flower.