186 AGRICULTURE FOR COMMON SCHOOLS 



creeper, Virginia creeper, honeysuckle, wistaria, hop, scarlet 

 runner, and others are good vines for covering fences, porches, 

 and outbuildings. Wild flowers like the golden-rod, aster, 

 sunflower, and flag look well when planted along the edges 

 and among shrubs from the forest. 



There are many cultivated flowers that can be used for 

 flower beds and borders. Some of these require special 

 preparation of the soil, but for most of them it is necessary 

 only that the soil be rich and deeply prepared and that the 

 roots or seeds be properly planted. We may divide these 

 plants into those which grow from bulbs or tubers and those 

 which come from seeds. The bulbs and tubers are of two 

 kinds: those planted in autumn and those planted in spring. 



The common fall-planted bulbs are tulip, crocus, jonquil, 

 daffodil, hyacinth, lily, and lily-of-the-valley. There are 

 many varieties of most of these and one can choose what 

 pleases the fancy and will suit the conditions. There are 

 said to be over two hundred varieties of hyacinths alone. 

 Crocuses are frequently planted in the grass in the lawn, mak- 

 ing a beautiful sight when they bloom early in the spring. 

 Crocuses, daffodils, and jonquils should be planted in Sep- 

 tember or early October; the others may be planted in Octo- 

 ber and early November. Crocuses and tulips should be 

 covered about three inches deep, jonquils and hyacinths about 

 four or five inches, and daffodils and lilies about six inches. 

 It is well to cover most of them with a light covering of manure 

 or straw after the ground freezes and remove it early in spring. 



The lilies and lilies-of-the-valley may remain where they are 

 set for several years, but hyacinths and tulips are better taken 

 up each year and reset. The crocuses may stand two years 

 or longer. The daffodils and jonquils are best reset about 



