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THE FLORIST. 



and loam and road-grit, well mixed together (three fourths loam 

 and one-fourth grit), on the soil left in the bed, forked it well 

 over two or three times, turning some of that left with the mould 

 just added, so as to mix it well, and laid it up in a high ridge ; 

 two or three days before planting, it will be raked down, laying 

 it two inches higher in the middle than the sides. In planting, 

 place a small quantity of river-sand on the spot the bulb is to 

 occupy, and put as much sand upon the bulb itself as will just 

 cover it ; then carefully put the mould on the bed, covering the 

 bulbs four inches and a half deep in the centre, and three inches 

 the outsides ; protect the bed at once, by placing small-sized 

 iron hoops over it, rising about six inches from the surface, and 

 run some small string diagonally from each hoop. About the 

 second or third week in October is the best time for planting in 

 general, though, on account of the lateness of our situation, we 

 never plant later than the first, if the weather will allow it to be 

 done. The best plan is to begin planting whenever the bulbs 

 push forth their green spear, and the fibres swell at the bottom 

 of the root (some of the early blooming varieties are already 

 doing so with us), for the longer they are kept out of the ground 

 when this is the case the greater injury they will sustain. We 

 have never used the nostrums some have recommended, but have 

 strictly adhered to the simple practice described as above ; and 

 perhaps we may be allowed to say, the blooms we have frequently 

 exhibited are the best evidences of the utility of our method of 

 cultivation." J. Hunt. 



High Wycombe. 





