90 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



nothing. Even supposing the cost in each case to be the same, the 

 balance would be in favour of those grown at home, because after 

 the foliage has died down they do not make any roots until they 

 are in bloom and the leaves full grown. Hence the leaves and 

 flowers have to be produced entirely with the aid of the nourish- 

 ment laid up in the bulbs the previous season, and if they are 

 pushed along too fast, especially those started early, they produce 

 flowers but no foliage. It is very easy to maintain a regular supply 

 of strong bulbs for forcing if a batch is planted every season. 



The situation selected for the beds should be moderately open 

 and cool ; but they are by no means particular, provided they are 

 not planted in a south or north border, for the first is too hot and 

 the second too cold. The ground set apart for their culture should 

 be determined upon at once, and liberally nourished with equal parts 

 of leaf-mould and partly-decayed stable manure. The dressing of 

 manure should not be less than sis inches in thickness. Then 

 trench or dig the bed to a depth of about eighteen or twenty-four 

 inches, and regularly incorporate the manure with the soil, and 

 leave the surface as rough as it is possible to leave it. This 

 work should be done early in the autumn where the soil is 

 rather heavy. It is too late to talk about autumn trenching 

 now, but it is necessary to say that in stirring soil deep in the 

 spring, the bottom spit must not be brought to the surface. 

 Presently, when the plants, now in the conservatory, go out of 

 flower, place them in cold frame and gradually harden oft", but do 

 not expose to frost ; and in the next paragraph we will consider 

 what must be done with them. 



About the middle of May dig the bed lightly with a fork, and if 

 the leaf-mould can be spared spread a moderate layer over the sur- 

 face previously, to assist them to become established quickly. When 

 the bed is quite ready, turn them out of the pots, divide carefully, 

 and plant the crowns either singly or in small tufts according as 

 they can be divided without breaking them about. The rows should 

 be fifteen inches apart, and the crowns twelve inches apart in the 

 rows. Water liberally, and then cover the surface of the bed with 

 short grass, partly-decayed leaves, or manure, or whatever loose 

 material can be spared for the purpose. A thorough soaking of 

 water once a week for the first four weeks, if the weather happens 

 to be dry, will be of immense service, but afterwards they will be 

 able to take care of themselves. They must be allowed to remain 

 in the bed until July of the second year after they are planted ; but 

 by planting a batch every year, a regular succession can be main- 

 tained after the first lot. Some growers recommend planting the 

 crowns in clumps of five each, but it is certainly not a good plan, 

 for with the same care and attention I could never obtain such 

 finely-developed crowns as I can when they are planted singly. 



In July of the second year after planting, prepare a proper 

 number of six or eight-inch pots by crocking them carefully, and 

 sufficient compost by mixing together three parts mellow turfy 

 loam, and a part each of old hot-bed manure and leaf-mould, and the 

 first dull moist day after the middle of the mouth lift them carefully 



