THE GROWING 



opportunity to develop roots fully before the 

 growth of foliage or flowers begins. If we 

 pot it and place it in the window at once, heat 

 and light, combined with the effect of moisture 

 in the soil, will excite it to such an extent that 

 it makes an effort to develop both roots and top 

 at the same time. In other words, top-growth 

 will begin before there are roots to support it 

 properly, and the result will be anything but 

 satisfactory. 



But if we pot the bulb and put it away in 

 some cool, dark, quiet place for a time, it will 

 form roots, while that part of it from which 

 leaves and flowers are to be produced later re- 

 mains dormant. In this way we imitate the 

 processes of nature, and prepare the plant for 

 the work demanded of it at a later period; we 

 ask it to do but one thing at a time. By fol- 

 lowing out this plan we may have just as fine 

 flowers from the bulbs we grow in the house 

 in winter as we have from those in the garden 

 in spring. 



The soil for bulbs grown in pots should be a 

 rich, mellow one, made up of garden loam, 

 sand, and old cow-manure in equal parts. 

 Work it over until you have a mass of fine 

 material. Prepare it before the time comes to 



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