THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK 



and more slender and the leaves were somewhat smaller. The 

 difference in the growth of first and second bulbs is well shown 

 in Nos. I and 2 of Plate 38. 



Occasionally the first bulbs produced two flowers, as is shown 

 in No. I ; this was due to the blooming of a small bulb, which at 

 the time of planting was situated within the outer scales of the 

 first bulb. Such flowers were always of small size. 



The four plants shown in Plate 38 were grown from sister bulbs 

 weighing 29.5, 5.45, 2.75, and 1.7 grams. This series was photo- 

 graphed to illustrate the principal types of growth observed. Nos. 

 I and 2 show the relative size and vigor of the growth from first 

 and second bulbs. No. 3 shows a blind tulip and No. 4 shows 

 the development of a scale leaf only. 



The blooming of bulbs of Cottage Maid was less pronounced 

 than in Rose Grisdelin. Fewer second bulbs bloomed and no 

 bulbs of smaller size bloomed. 



As would perhaps be expected, the greater proportion of bulbs 

 that died or that developed a scale leaf only was among bulbs of 

 smaller sizes. The total number of blind bulbs was low — 6 of 

 Rose Grisdelin among third bulbs and 2 of Cottage Maid among 

 first bulbs. 



It may be said that in planting for special display one would 

 scarcely ever select any bulbs of the size of the second bulbs used 

 in the experiment. Probably no bulbs of smaller size than the 

 first bulbs would be sold for planting by any commercial dealer. 



The practical methods of increasing stock depends on the vege- 

 tative multiplication of bulbs giving sister bulbs of various sizes 

 and the subsequent growth of the smaller of these bulbs without 

 their blooming or splitting up into smaller bulbs until bulbs of 

 large size are formed. It would seem that the blooming of bulbs 

 of smaller size is undesirable in that it may retard the develop- 

 ment of bulbs of second rank to the size of first rank. On ac- 

 count of the smaller size of the flowers produced and the some- 

 what greater uncertainty that flowers will be produced, it is 

 scarcely practicable to select any but largest or first bulbs for 

 planting. It is planned to determine the further performance of 

 the bulbs of second and lower ranks which produced flowers in 

 the experiment. A. B. Stout 



206 



