UNDER GLASS AND IN THE HOUSE 47 



and good sandy and gritty soil and a little wood ashes ; 

 and in the boxes for strong-growing sorts (but not 

 where delicate sorts are to grow), mix in a little artificial 

 manure or a little very old and rotten cow manure, so 

 old as to have become almost like soil ; or the bulbs may 

 be planted in six or seven inch pots in the same way. 

 Plant the bulbs as early as possible in August, almost 

 touching each other, and covered with half an inch or 

 more of soil, except the very small bulbs, which require 

 less. Then pack all the boxes and pots side by side in 

 some open space on a foundation of ashes. Take care 

 they stand quite level, and fill up around and between 

 them with ashes up to their rims or edges and cover 

 them with about five or six inches of cocoa fibre refuse, 

 except the small growing kinds, which only need about 

 three inches. Leave them outside for at least three 

 months ; the boxes will then be full of roots, and most 

 of the varieties will have made growth upwards. Now 

 remove them from outside and place in a cold frame, 

 again letting them rest on a few inches of ashes, quite 

 level. Let the young tender growth, which is now 

 exposed, be shaded from strong light for a few days 

 until the white shoots turn green, then admit full light. 

 A space should be left between the boxes or pots and 

 the sides of the frames, and this and any spaces between 

 the boxes and pots themselves should be filled in with 

 ashes ; and about a quarter to half-an-inch of cocoa fibre 

 may with advantage be strewn over the surface of the 

 soil in the boxes and pots. Through the winter the 

 frames should be well protected with mats at night and 

 during severe frosty days, so as to secure early flowering. 

 Plenty of air must be admitted, except in severe weather, 

 for the plants must not be allowed to become drawn. 

 If afterwards removed to a greenhouse, they must, for 

 the same reason, be kept near the glass. A most 

 important point is the watering, which must be regularly 



