144 



SCIENCE OF HOME AND COMMUNITY 



drainage. On this a little soil should be placed and then 

 the bulb, which is covered with enough soil to just conceal 

 the tip. More satisfactory results will be obtained if several 

 bulbs of the same kind are placed in one pot about an inch 

 apart. Three bulbs the size of a Roman hyacinth may 

 be placed in a five-inch pot, and about six the size of the 



crocus. The pot should not be 

 filled to the brim, as room should 

 be left for watering. 



Care of the bulbs. The pots 

 should then be placed in a dark, 

 cool place and allowed to remain 

 until the root system has well de- 

 veloped. If there is a part of the 

 cellar not affected by the furnace 

 heat, the pots may be placed there 

 and covered to keep out the light. 

 They should be watered occasion- 

 ally. The bulbs may be set away 

 at any time from the middle of 

 September until the middle of No- 

 vember, but in general October is 

 the best time. 



On the whole the simplest method 

 for the hardy bulbs is to put the 

 flowerpots outdoors on boards and cover them with leaves 

 or manure to exclude the light. If the covering is well 

 moistened, the bulbs will not need any further care until 

 they are taken indoors. 



The first three bulbs given below in the table will not 

 stand freezing and so must be kept at a temperature above 

 32 degrees. The other bulbs will stand a temperature below 

 freezing. 



When the plants are first brought in they should be 

 kept for a few days in dim light and at a low temperature 



FIG. 47. Hyacinth bulb that 

 formed roots while it was 

 in the dark. 



