B U L 



B U L 



tulips eight or nine; thougli it is often the 

 practice to allow the lornier not more than five 

 or six inches. 



The depths of setting roots of the bulbous 

 kinds arc in general according to their sizes or 

 growths, as three or four inches from their 

 upper parts. But some sorts, as the crown im- 

 perial and crocus, will rise i'roin a conside- 

 rable depth, as six inches or more, and others 

 from still greater ; w hich has induced some 

 persons to plant them to such depths as are suf- 

 ticient to prevent their being injured by digging 

 over the surface ground. 



Different methods are employed in pLintins: 

 bulbous roots, as those of puttinc; them in by 

 the dibble, and in drills drawn by a hoe. The 

 latter is in general to be preferred, as they are 

 apt to lie hollow in dibbling, while W-placing 

 them in a drill they may be gently pressed into 

 the soil, and be perfectly covered up. When they 

 are set in beds, the best method is to draw off 

 tjie mould a sufficient depth to one side, leaving 

 the surface perfectly level, watering it a little in 

 dry seasons, and then forming it into proper 

 squares, placing a bulb in the middle of each, 

 covciing them with the mould drawn oft" so as 

 to leave the bulbs in an upright position. After 

 the bulbs have been put into the earth, if the 

 weather continue very dry, a little water should 

 be sprinkled over the beds or other places, 

 to forward their vegetation and prevent their 

 rotting. 



Some protection is occasionally necessary in 

 raising the more curious sorts of flowers of 

 these roots, as, before thev appear during the 

 winter, the beds should be sheltered from too 

 much wet, in order to guard against the eflects 

 of frost. And when they first present them- 

 selves above the ground, they should have the 

 protection of an awning of cloth, mats, or 

 other contrivances in the nights when the wea- 

 ther is severe; but they should not remain on 

 in the day-time when it is tolerable. Some sort 

 of covering of the same sort is likewise neces- 

 sary when they are in blow, to shield them from 

 tlie sun and rain, and continue them much 

 longer in a perfect state of flowering. 



There is a method of getting spring flower- 

 ing bulbs forward, which is by setting them 

 in pots or glasses for the purpose, in"^ warm 

 rooms, or in moderate hot-beds, as by these 

 means they flower in winter. The hyacinth 

 and narcissus, as well as several otherSj may be 

 managed in this way with facility. These 

 should be placed in pots of light dry sandy earth 

 in autumn, as about the beginning of October, 

 water being occasionally given. They may 

 likewise be put into glasses at the same period. 



and occasionallv every three or four weeks, til! 

 the latter end of February, in order to have 

 them flouer in succession. In this method the 

 bottom of the bulbs should be just immerged in 

 the water, which should be renewed once a 

 week or oftener, so as to keep it constantly up 

 to the bottoms of the bulbs. Soft water is the 

 best for this purpose. The blow is said, by Mr. 

 Marshall, to be considerably strengthened by 

 dissolving a portion of nitre, about the size of a 

 pea, in the water each time it is chanced. 



Besides the raising of flowers from root- 

 bulbs in these modes, there are some produced 

 from little bulbs formed on the sides of the top- 

 parts of the stems, as in the bnlbiferous lily. 

 These should be taken otf about Aueust, and, 

 after being dried a little in the sun, planted out 

 in rows in the nursery, in the same manner as 

 off-sets. 



By these means the various bulbous-rooted 

 plants may be continued: but in order to pro- 

 duce new varieties recourse nmst be had to seed, 

 which should be carefully saved, when fully 

 ripened, from the best and most curious flowers, 

 and \\ hich, after having been hardened a little 

 in the sun, should be sown in boxes of light 

 rich earth, setting them in a sheltered sunny- 

 situation, but not undercover. This is usually 

 done about the latter end of August, or be- 

 ginning of the following month; hyacinths, 

 tulips, and other large sorts being covered to- 

 the depth of nearly an inch, and others, of 

 the smaller sorts, half an inch. A little water 

 should be occasionally given when the season is- 

 dry, to keep the soil moist, but not wet. The 

 seeds may be protected till they come up, by a 

 little covering of some kind of strawy material. 

 Other sowings may be made in March, or the 

 followins; month, the boxes being brought into 

 southern exposures, where there is only the 

 morning sun towards May. The young seed- 

 ling plants should be protected in severe frosty 

 weather, and when there is much rain, by means 

 of mats and hoops, and a reed hurdle or 

 other contrivance to break off the north-east 

 winds. 



The young plants should likewise be kept 

 properly thinned out, and perfectly free from 

 weeds. When the stems decay, a little mould 

 should be put upon them to the thickness of- 

 half an inch. In the following summer, when 

 the leaves decay, as about August, they should 

 be planted out into nurser)'-beds, at the distance 

 of two or three inches, according to the kinds. 

 Some sorts, as the hyacinth and tulip, require 

 to be removed from these into other nursery- 

 beds as soon as their tops decline, and set at 

 si.\ inches distance j or it is probably a better 



