THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK 



condition of blindness developed in this variety during summer 

 storage. 



Varieties such as Cottage ]\Iaid, Prince of Austria, Chryso- 

 lora, La Reine, Crimson King and Grand Due, all grown under 

 quite identical conditions, and even in the same beds with varie- 

 ties just mentioned, exhibited only the normal mode of growth. 

 There was no green leafy growth from the several sister bulbs 

 formed about the base of a flower stalk. The bulbs were all solid, 

 and sections of the bulbs revealed that the basal portion of the 

 stem was fiat and compact and the lateral buds were undeveloped 

 (see No. 14). 



The weather of the spring of 1917 for New York City was 

 characterized by excessive cloudiness with frequent showers 

 which kept the ground unusually wet. The beds in which the 

 tulips grew have been used for several years for tulip plantings 

 and each autumn when tulip bulbs are planted a mulch several 

 inches thick of well-rotted manure is applied. It may be that 

 excessive moisture may combine with richness in a soil to induce 

 such abnormal and premature development as has been described 

 above. If this be the case, it is clear that some varieties respond 

 more readily to such conditions than do others, and their per- 

 formance in this respect is to be considered in selecting varieties 

 most desirable for growth in and about New York City. 



2. Development in Bulbs during Summer, with Special 

 Regard to the Occurrence of Blindness 



Summer is not a period of complete dormancy and rest for 

 tulip bulbs. Important changes involved in the development of 

 flowers occur during summer even in bulbs that are in storage. 

 Examination of large first bulbs in May or June shows that the 

 growing points of the main stem are not at that time differen- 

 tiated into leaves and flowers ; the rudimentary stalk with its 

 leaves and flowers is simply a tender minute cone scarcely visible 

 within the innermost scale. Longitudinal sections through such 

 bulbs appear as shown in No. 14. 



Examination in October of stored bulbs shows that they appear 

 to have somewhat swollen during the summer ; the outermost 

 scale, which is thin and membranaceous,, is split (see Nos. 18 and 



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