PLANTING BULBS. 169 



after they begin to make root growth they want plenty of light. Our 

 seasons are rather short and we lose so much valuable time, and I 

 would advise to get them along as far as you can before putting them 

 out; they get frozen plenty early enough before we have enjoyed them 

 as long as we want anyway; the quicker you get them to blooming 

 the better. 



A Member: I would like to tell the rough-road method I have taken 

 for planting cannas. Excavate your pit and put in a foot or eighteen 

 inches of stable manure and then put your soil back. Put your bulbs 

 in there, and after a while thoroughly wet them. The bulbs will then 

 take up with the conditions around them and you can get good results. 

 I know, as I practiced on the beds of floriculture at the exposition, and 

 I had good results. 



Mr. Green: I would like to say about the narcissus again: A 

 gentleman asked me if he could get flowers by Decoration Day. I will 

 say, if you will use cold storage bulbs and as soon as spring opens plant 

 the bulbs, and thirty-five days from that you will get flowers. 



Question: I would like to know why it is we have to send to the 

 old country for our bulbs? 



A Voice: Because we do not want to work in the summer for five 

 cents a day; you can buy them cheaper. 



Question: I would like to ask the gentleman why he sends to the 

 old country for his apple seed. I grow mine. I understand as a general 

 rule he sends to the old country for his apple seed. Is it worth more? 



Mr. Russell: Answering the gentleman as to why they send to 

 Europe for apple seed, it is worth more than the American seed. That 

 is, a bushel of European seed is worth more than a bushel of American 

 seed. Labor is cheaper over there and they wash out the pumice. The 

 French seed is cleaner and comes to us in better shape. Some prefer 

 one kind and some another, but the supply in this country is not equal 

 to the demand, therefore they have to send over there for some of their 

 apple seed. 



Question: I would like to ask the Secretary if he believes the French 

 apple seed will produce and stand the climate of northeast Nebraska 

 as well as our native apple seed. 



Mr. Russell: "We are getting a little bit off the program, but I can 

 answer in part by saying that we made a test of it in an apple seedling 

 orchard in this state. . You may plant American seed or you may plant 

 the French seed, but you do not know that you are always getting good 

 hardy stock in planting the seed. Some is hardy and some is not. As 

 far as I can determine, one seed will ordinarily bring as good results as 

 the other to propagate from. People have different ideas on the subject. 

 The nurserymen have used both kinds of seed for years. Sometimes 

 a customer gets an idea for American stock, and another will want 

 French stock. For myself, I cannot say that one is better than the other. 

 Still, I say that one bushel of the French seed is better than a bushel 

 of the American because it produces more stocks. 



