THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



and fill with sand to one-third its height, 

 adding an equal amount of prepared 

 soil, thus leaving one-third of the bulb 

 exposed. Leave the lower soil loose, 

 but firmly press the surface about the 

 bulb. After the planting is finished, 

 thoroughly moisten the soil, set away in 

 a cool, sheltered place and, cover with 

 coal ashes two or three inches deep, 

 and over this a layer of coarse manure, 

 leaves or other litter, to keep from freez- 

 ing and to prevent the.tops from drying 

 out. A strong, healthy root growth 

 will thus be secured, the time ranging 

 from four to eight weeks, according to 

 the nature of the bulb. The root con- 

 dition may easily be ascertained by 

 turning out the soil, and whenever the 

 pot is well filled with roots, it may be 

 gradually brought to the light and heat. 

 Upper growth may have started, and 

 will now push forward quite rapidly. 

 Some of the plants may be held back 

 and not brought into the light for three 

 or four weeks, thus securing a succession 

 of bloom. When brought to the light 

 it is better to keep in a temperature not 

 exceeding sixty degrees, as the plants 

 will remain longer in healthy bloom ; 

 or, if it must be kept warmer, the soil 

 should be kept more moist than would 

 otherwise be necessary. When the 

 blooms fade, the bulbs are usually dis- 

 carded. Should one care to take the 

 trouble, all bed hyacinths may quite 

 easily be propagated by allowing the 

 foliage to ripen, then keep pots dry 

 until autumn or spring, as the case may 

 be, when they should be planted in any 

 out-of-the-way place and left for two 

 years, when the bulblets will be of suffi- 

 cient size for bedding. 



The following sorts are among the 

 best for pot culture, together with a few 

 suggestions for the special treatment of 

 each: 



Hyacinths, grown singly in five inch 

 pots. Select single flowered varieties 

 and those designated by most catalogues 

 as second size, and give equally good 

 results. 



Early Flowering Roman Hyacinths, 

 grown four or five of the same color in a 

 pot. 



Early Flowering 

 Tulips, three to 

 five in each pot. 

 The single varie- 

 ties are more bril- 

 liant, but do not 

 remain so long in 

 blossom as the 

 double ; hence 

 there is reason for 

 having both forms 

 Fig. 1446.— Dug Van represented. The 

 Thol. Due Van Thol are 



especially good, either single or double, 

 my preference being for the latter. 

 . Narcissus, four or five in a pot, Early 

 Double and Roman Paper White being 

 the best forcing. 



Jonquils, four or five in a pot, and 

 have both single and double repre- 

 sented. 



Crocus, five or six in a pot. Have 

 yellow, white, blue and striped, each 

 represented in different pots. In plant- 

 ing, fill the pot with soil, even with the 

 top of the bulb. 



Allium Neapolitanum, Glory of the 

 Snow (chinodoxa Lucillae), Freesia re- 

 fracta alba, each, seven or eight in a 

 pot and treated the same as Crocus. 



For garden culture we have spring, 

 summer and autumn flowering bulbs. 

 Those already mentioned for forcing, 

 together with scillas and snowdrops, are 

 among the best that bloom in spring ; 

 lilies and gladioli in summer, and the 

 autumn species of Crocus and Galanthus, 

 and Colchicum autumnale for autumn. 



398 



