BULB GROWING: SELECTION OF VARIETIES, ETC. 



There are other valuable ones, but a 

 collection of one or more varieties of 

 the above will give a maximum effect, 

 and this is only secured by a mass of 

 individuals of one species, or, frequently 

 still better, one variety in the same 

 clump. Hence I venture the assertion 

 that it is far better to have loo bulbs of 

 a single sort than ten sorts of ten bulbs 

 each. 



The spring flowering bulbs, and most 

 of the lilies, may be planted any time 

 from the middle of September to the 

 first of December, better about October 

 15th. Methods of arrangement must 

 be governed largely by the various 

 tastes and different surroundings. Iso- 

 lated formal beds or rows may have 

 their places against walks or buildings ; 

 massive clumps scattered here and there, 

 especially as foreground for shrubbery, 

 are very becoming ; smaller groups may 

 add grace and beauty when properly 

 placed among other plants in the bor- 

 der; and lastly, certain bulbs, such as 

 crocus, snowdrop and glory of the snow, 

 do quite well planted in sod, without 

 further care or cultivation. 



In preparing a place for bulbs, the 

 first and perhaps most important con- 

 sideration is drainage. Other things in 

 their favor, bulbs will succeed quite well 

 in rather poor soil, but the worst treat- 

 ment that can be given them is a wet, 

 undrained situation. If the location is 

 naturally well drained, spade up the 

 area to be planted twelve or fifteen 

 inches deep, working in a good quantity 

 of well-rotted cow manure or other non- 

 stimulating fertilizer. Bulbs will do 

 well in almost any soil, but a light, rich, 

 sandy loam is the best ; and if naturally 

 heavy, add leaf mold or an extra amount 

 of manure, and in any event, when 

 planting, it is always best to apply a 

 large handful of sand to each bulb, to 

 prevent rot. Low, wet, undrained 



places should be renovated by excavat- 

 ing eight or ten inches deep and cover- 

 ing the bottom with three or four 

 inches of broken brick or stone, and 

 above this about a foot of soil, thus 

 raising the bed six or eight inches above 

 the surrounding level. 



All bulbs of the same variety in a 

 single clump should be planted the 

 same depth, otherwise they will mature 

 at different periods and the best effect 

 lost. To do this accurately it will be 

 necessary either to remove the surface 

 of the bed as deeply as required for 

 planting bulbs^ setting them the proper 

 distances apart and replacing the cover- 

 ing, or by the aid of a dibble or any 

 round-pointed stick with a cross-bar 

 fastened as far from the point as the 

 depth to plant, and it will be compara- 

 tively easy to make holes, into which 

 bulbs are to be planted, all the same 

 depth. 



When desirable to mix fast and slow 

 growing varieties, plant the more rapid 

 growers deeper, or the two may be 

 separated into central and side portions 

 of the clump, usually better with earlier 

 ones in the center and late varities next 

 the border, when the difference in 

 flowering will be less conspicuous. It 

 is thus an easy matter to prolong the 

 flowering season of a particular sort by 

 planting one clump shallow and another 

 deep, or the center of one clump more 

 shallow than the side, or one clump 

 located in a more shady place than the 

 other. Again, it is well to mulch the 

 beds with leaves or coarse manure for 

 hardy as well as tender sorts, so that 

 an even growth may be secured and the 

 bulbs be prevented from heaving out by 

 winter freezing. Mulching is especially 

 valuable for preventing freezing and the 

 consequent lack of root growth of late- 

 planted bulbs. As a rule the mulch 

 should be removed some time in March, 



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