1334 Rural School Leaflet 



bulb to nourish it, nevertheless it will flower to a greater perfection if 

 additional food be easily available in the soil. If bone meal can be had, 

 this should be spaded in, using about a quart to ten square feet of ground 

 area. 



There are man}' kinds of bulbs suited to school grounds, but among the 

 cheapest are narcissus, tulip, and crocus. The narcissi, such as daffodils, 

 jonquils, trumpet and poet's narcissi, are especially good. These are 

 in varying shades of yellow and white. They are truly beloved flowers 

 of the springtime and will add brightness and cheer to the school gardens. 

 They may be bought for from two to five dollars a hundred, depending 

 on the variety, and, when once established, they will flower for several 

 years provided they are allowed to ripen the foliage before it is cut after 

 they are through flowering. Among the best varieties are Empress 

 and Golden Spur, which are large trumpet narcissi, poet's narcissus, the 

 more delicate, smaller jonquils, and double Von Sion. They may be 

 planted in a formal bed; the top of the bulbs should be placed about four 

 inches below the surface of the soil, and the bulbs about four inches apart. 

 If it is desirable, they may be planted directly in the sod, and here they 

 ^^dll flower for years, provided they are not trodden on in the early spring 

 just as the new growth is springing up. A hole about seven inches deep 

 should first be dug in the sod with a trowel; about two inches of fine rich 

 soil should be dropped in the bottom and the bulb placed on this. The 

 remainder of the hole should then be filled with fine loam, but the sod 

 should not be replaced. " Narcissi are also attractive when planted infor- 

 mally in groups under shrubs. 



Tulips are excellent for school grounds, and furnish a wide range of 

 form and color. The price is also reasonable; they can be bought for 

 from a dollar and fifty cents to eight dollars a hundred. Among the best 

 of the early flowering varieties are: Due von Thol, Joost Van Vondel, 

 Yellow Prince, Keizcrkroon, and Sir Thomas Moore. Later varieties 

 of value are: La JVIerveille, Inglescomb Pink, and Golden Crown. The 

 long-stemmed Darwin tulips in solid colors are especially fine. Tulips 

 should be planted in a similar manner to narcissus, but they are less 

 suited for planting in an informal way in sod. 



Hyacinths are among the more expensive bulbs, and they are not well 

 adapted for outdoor planting on school grounds. They are more formal 

 and better suited to symmetrical beds. 



Bulbs for border plantings are: grape hyacinth {Muscari hotryoides), 

 scilla, crocus, and snow"drop. The crocus and the snowdrop are among 

 the earliest spring-flowering bulbs and are through blooming long before 

 daffodils and tulips bloom. 



After the bulbs are planted, the beds should be left vmcovered until the 



