40 



By their channeled leaves they ac 

 cumulate water, which remains in quan 

 tity at the base of the stem, and it 

 should not be disturbed, as it does no 

 harm. In nature the water would sure 

 ly be there, and in this respect at least 

 we cannot improve on nature. A com 

 post such as described, plenty of mois 

 ture and a minimum winter temperature 

 of 70 degrees is what they want. Fol 

 lowing are named some of the most 

 distinct genera and species: 



Tillandsia utriculala and T. fenes- 

 tralis. 



Guzmania fragrans and G. tricolor. 



Aechmea fulgens and A. crocophylla. 



Karatis spectabilis and K. Moritzia- 

 num. 



Vriesia musaica and V. splendens. 



Billbergia zebrina. 



For the culture of the variegated 

 pineapple (Anana sativa variegata) see 

 Ananas* 



BROWALLIA. 



The best known species is elata, of 

 which there are two varieties. One has 



THE FLORISTS MANUAL. 



four inches deep, with half a dozen 

 plants, makes a nice show, and many of 

 them could be sold as Christmas 

 plants. When once established in the 

 pans they are better kept out of doors 

 in a frame and given the open air, but 

 covered with glass in case of a storm. 

 They must be syringed daily and will 

 need pinching once or twice to induce 

 them to branch. Eemove to the green 

 house before any danger of frost. 



BULBS. 



Under this head, instead of under 

 their respective names, is given the cul 

 ture of those bulbs that are generally 

 forced, especially those known as Dutch 

 bulbs and which have been so important 

 an item with us for the past twenty 

 years. 



Boots that are often called bulbs are 

 really corms and not bulbs. The cro 

 cus, caladium, richardia and gladiolus 

 are corms. The true bulbs are the lily, 

 hyacinth, tulip, etc. It is only of the 

 Dutch bulbs that this article treats. 



The tulip, hyacinth and narcissus all 



Single Tulips. 



white flowers, but the variety grandi- 

 flora is a fine blue. They are often 

 used as flower garden plants, but are 

 more suitable for the mixed border, as 

 they are liable to go out of bloom just 

 when their color is most needed. 



For the flower garden sow the seed 

 in March and transplant into flats or 

 small pots and plant after all danger 

 of frost. As a pot plant for winter 

 use (and they will flower during our 

 darkest days) sow in July and August. 

 A pan six or seven inches across and 



want about the same treatment, with 

 some variation, which will be noted. 

 There is little doubt that the lilies (or 

 what may be called the loose-scaled 

 bulbs) are subject to injury through 

 being long exposed to the air, and they 

 really should not be long in a perfectly 

 dormant state. Notice the Lilium can- 

 didum in our gardens. Soon after the 

 flower stalk is gone the plant begins to 

 throw up a young crop of leaves, show 

 ing it is but a short time dormant, if at 

 all. Not so with the more fleshy bulbs, 



like tulips, which remain out of the 

 ground four or five months without the 

 slightest harm. 



Bulbs for Bedding. 



The hyacinth, tulip and hardy nar 

 cissus are usually planted in the open 

 ground in October and November. 

 They should always be planted a good 

 six inches deep. The closer together 

 the better the effect. A thinly planted 

 tulip bed looks bad and is not worth 

 doing. I call a foot apart thin. Six 

 inches apart will make a gorgeous bed. 

 Some extensive experience with these 

 Dutch bulbs in beds has convinced us 

 that late planting gives the best re 

 sults. Tulips planted as late as the 

 end of November will remain longer in 

 bloom than those planted the middle of 

 October. A Ded that has received a 

 good addition of manure in the spring 

 before the summer bedding plants were 

 planted needs no more manuring, but 

 the richer the soil the finer will be your 

 blossoms. 



The great majority of our bulbs 

 when planted to succeed the flower gar 

 den plants are intended to flower only 

 one year, and that suits the florist who 

 supplies the bulbs very well, but that is 

 no reason why the bulbs should be neg 

 lected or thrown away. The bulbs may 

 either be lifted or leit in the bed, as 

 desired. If lifted, the tops should be 

 about ripe before the bulbs are dis 

 turbed, if lifted as soon as the flower 

 is faded you have arrested the forma 

 tion of the buio that was storing up its 

 strength for the following year. 



The early tulips and hyacinths bloom 

 with us early in May. As our bedding 

 plants do not go out till nearly or quite 

 dune 1, there is nearly time to give the 

 bulbs a chance to mature. Two weeks 

 later, however, would be much better if 

 the welfare of the bulbs was the main 

 consideration. &quot;When first lifted expose 

 the bulbs and tops to the air till they 

 are ripe and the tops wither away, when 

 the tops can be pulled off, the bulbs 

 cleaned and stored away in a dry, cool 

 place till fall. I noticed this spring 

 about as good flowers produced by tulips 

 the second year as by those freshly im 

 ported. The bulbs will do very well 

 if left in the ground, which it is some 

 times convenient to do, in the mixed 

 border, for instance. If in beds you 

 can sow some summer annuals over 

 them, such as California poppy, with 

 out much harm. 



There are always some inquiries as 

 to &quot;When shall I cover my tvuip bed?&quot; 

 Tnese and the hyacinths are perfectly 

 hardy and no covering is necessary till 

 Christmas, when two or three inches of 

 stable manure or litter can be put on 

 the bed. , It helps not so much to keep 

 *frost out as to prevent the surface from 

 continuously alternating between a 

 freeze and a thaw, which often occurs 

 in the months of March and April. 



In planting a bed of bulbs to any set 

 pattern or design look out for time of 

 flowering of the several sorts. Crocuses 

 are always best alone and should not 

 oe used with the tulips and hyacinths. 

 Von Sion narcissus is about as early 

 as the hyacinths, which are several days 



