THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK 



20) and a slight elevation of tissue usually protrudes (as at point 

 a, No. 18) from the base of the bulbs. This is crescent-shaped in 

 outline and is most pronounced opposite the point of attachment 

 to the old stem of the mother bulb. This is plainly an area in 

 which roots are developing as the corrugated surface especially 

 indicates. At the apex of the bulb the tips of the tightly rolled 

 stem-leaves often protrude slightly. In a longitudinal section 

 (No. 22) all parts of the flower are found to be well formed and 

 of considerable size. Stem-leaves and internodes of the flower- 

 stem are now also present. Future development in the following 

 spring consists chiefly of enlargement of these parts. Thus a 

 noticeable and important development has occurred during the 

 summer. 



Bulbs left in the ground make somewhat further development 

 during summer. The flower itself appears to have developed 

 almost the same in both stored and ground bulbs (compare Nos. 

 21 and 2ia with Nos. 22 and 22a) ; but in the latter the roll of 

 leaves protrudes further, the roots have made noticeable growth, 

 and the flower stem is somewhat longer (see Nos. 15, 16, 17, and 

 21). In the case of later blooming Darwin tuli])s the develop- 

 ment is not so great, as is shown in No. 19. Bulbs left in the 

 ground have evidently been supplied with food materials from 

 the soil through the activity of the roots. 



It is during the summer that certain critical stages in flower 

 development occur. Bulbs in storage are forced to make this 

 development under conditions in some degree unnatural, or at 

 least different from those which operate with bulbs left in the 

 ground. Undoubtedly the general practice of storing bulbs in 

 a dark cool place, such as a cellar, somewhat meets their natural 

 requirements. 



It is not surprising, therefore, that the condition of blindness 

 illustrated and described in this Journal in the issue of last August 

 should be traced to abnormal development in stored bulbs during 

 the summer. 



Examination was made of bulbs of all varieties in storage 

 previous to planting in November, 1917. It was found that 

 blindness was already in evidence in dead flowers present in a 

 large proportion of bulbs of the variety [Margaret. A zone of 



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