FLORAL InOTES 



BULBS FOR THE WINDOW 



FiG. 2704. A Window Garden.; 



VERY few homes in Ontario indulge in 

 the luxury of a private greenhouse; 

 it is therefore upon the window garden that 

 most of our lady amateurs must depend for 

 the practise of floriculture in winter. Many 

 ladies, ambitious to excel, and fond of their 

 floral treasures, attempt to grow too many 

 varieties and find that they do not agree over 

 temperature, or moisture, or sunlight, and 

 in consequence that many of them look sick- 

 ly and fail to bloom. Far better make a 

 study of a few plants at a time, learn to know 

 the conditions of their success, and then add 

 by degrees to the collection. 



Winter flowering bulbs are a v«ry inter- 

 esting class of window flowers for the be- 

 ginner, and now is the time to make one's 

 purchases. 



" Last winter." says a writer in. Country 

 Life in America. " I learned for the first 

 time how easily and cheaply one may have 



flowers in the home throughout the winter 

 months if the bulbs are secured in the early 

 fall and planted at intervals. 



" We purchased only five bulbs of choice 

 varieties, and the cost did not exceed the ex- 

 pense of a blooming plant or two at Christ- 

 mas or Easter time. Moreover, half the 

 pleasure derived from plants and flowers 

 comes from watching their wonderful 

 grwoth and development. 



" We procured a number of four, five and 

 six-inch pots, some fine, clean sand, and a 

 quantity of well-rotted manure. The kind 

 of manure suitable is practically odorless 

 and easy to handle, and should be chopped 

 or crumbled fine. We next mix the sand, 

 manure and dry garden soil, using equal 

 parts of each, and after the bottom of •:he 

 pots had been covered with pieces of coal or 

 crockery for drainage, the bulbs were planted 

 at a depth below the top varying from one- 

 fourth of an inch to an inch, depending on 

 the size. After the bulbs had been watered 

 thoroughly they were placed in a dark, cool 

 corner of the cellar, where they remained 

 until the tops were well above the soil. 

 When in the cellar we did not water them 

 oftener than once in ten days, but when the 

 pots were transferred to the sitting-room 

 they were given moisture each day. In from 

 three to twelve weeks the pots were full of 

 roots, and as the tops appeared above the 

 soil one could not help but wonder how they 

 had managed to keep their faces so clean and 

 white." 



Among the bulbs which are easily grown, 

 and which give much satisfaction, we may 

 mention the Narcissus, which may now be 

 had in a great number of interesting varie- 

 ties. 



.After an experience with a dozen varie- 



