so NEI5UASKA STATE HOKTini-TrUAI- SOCIKTY 



Q. Are those the Spencer varieties? 



Mr. LawGon: No sir, those are for outdoor blooming. The Spen- 

 cers will get so high in the greenhouse you must have a stepladder to 

 pick them. 



Mr. Frey: About this time of year (January 22) they will not get 

 so tall though. I have a house now prepared to plant of all Spencers 

 for April and May and June blooming. For a Christmas picking the best 

 kind I have got was a Christmas Snow Bird. This being a German variety 

 it will germinate better than any others. 



The Chairman: Our next paper this morning will be by L. D. Tyrrell, 

 of Lincoln, on the subject of "Forcing Bulbs." 



FORCING BULBS. 

 L. D. Tyrrell, Lincoln. 



If the committee which assigned to me the task of preparing a paper 

 on the growing and forcing of bulbs had known how little real pleasure I 

 have ever derived from carrying around a tray, or a box of bulbs, en- 

 deavoring to get them into bloom for some special day or occasion, they 

 no doubt would have assigned to me for my consideration some plant or 

 class of plants more dear to my heart. 



For I believe that the average florist gives as little serious thought 

 and consideration to the bulbs which he forces into bioom under glass, as 

 he does to any class of plants with wliich he comes in contact, that are 

 of so much importance to him. One reason lor this is that we take little 

 or no part in the growing of these bulbs, which is left entirely in the 

 hands of our brother across the water, who is better equipped with climate 

 and with soil essential to their welfare, and then when we do receive our 

 annual importation of bulbs, we immediately take them to some secluded 

 spot, and there confine them to their winter quarters beneath the ground 

 where the bulk of them are to remain until the late weeks of winter or 

 the early weeks of springs. 



Fifteen years ago a few local bulb and supply houses handled the 

 entire bulb supply of this country. Today there is not a bulb growing 

 concern in Holland which does not have its representative in this country, 

 and who after having once sold you a bill of bulbs, which you will hardly 

 have placed in their winter quarters before you will a;-;ain find him at 

 your door. Such has become the keen competition among the bulb 

 growers, for the American bulb trade. It is not infrequent that you will 

 meet in your place of business some individual who has traveled abroad, 

 and after looking over your small daily supply of bulb stock, will remark 

 with considerable emphasis, "Oh, you ought to have been with me and 

 •lave seen the bulb fields of Holland," but 11 as that individual was looking 

 over those fields of fragrance and beauty some one had told him that more 

 than fi5 per cent of the flower producing bulbs of Holla-;id arc annually 

 imported to the United States and Canada, to be forced into bloom under 



