Freesia

Remarkably pretty and graceful Cape flowers, possessing amost agreeable perfume. The plants grow about 9 in. high and produce six or eight tubular flowers on a stem. They are easily cultivated in a cool greenhouse, frame, or window, and are invaluable for



cutting, the long sprays lasting from two to three weeks in water. The bulbs should be planted early in the spring in rich, very sandy soil, and given the protection of a cold frame in the winter. By successional plantings they may be had in bloom from January to May. Put six to twelve bulbs in a 4-in. or 8-in pot, place in a sunny position in a cold frame, and cover with damp cinder ashes to keep them fairly moist. When growth has begun and the pots are full of roots, remove the covering of ashes, but keep the pots in the frame, giving a little ventilation when the weather is mild, and watering carefully when the soil appears dry. Protect from frost by a covering of mats. For early flowering remove the plants to a warm greenhouse when the flower spikes appear, keeping them as near the glass as possible. When the buds are developed an occasional application of weak liquid manure will prove beneficial.

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