CHAPTER VII 

 PLANTING BULBS IN THE YARD 



Preparing the soil for bulbs. The necessary tools for 

 preparing the soil are a spade, a rake, a yardstick, a 

 garden line, and a dibble about four feet long and two 

 inches in diameter. Stakes should be placed a 

 foot or more from the edges of the beds, to 

 avoid loosening them while digging. With a 

 sharp spade cut the soil along the edges of the 

 bed, so that the sides will not appear irregular 

 when finished. The bed should then be spaded 

 to a depth of at least eight inches. While 

 spading, work in well-rotted barnyard manure ; 

 FIG. 31. a ^heelbarrow load for a bed four by eleven 



A Dibble m J 



for mak- feet is sufficient. The first soil taken out must 

 mg Holes ^ p u ^ ^ n a nea p on the lawn or loaded onto a 



for Bulbs 



wheelbarrow, so that it may be used to fill the 

 trench at the other end of the bed after it has been 

 spaded. The soil should be turned while it is being 

 spaded so that the topsoil will be at the bottom of 

 the bed. Break large clods with the spade while work- 

 ing. After the bed has been spaded, break all small 

 lumps and level it with a garden rake. 



The beds should be prepared during the early part of 

 September. This will give ample time for the fall rains 



48 



