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expansion, taking care to bring away as much root- 

 fibre as possible* and not to disturb more than can 

 be avoided those that are left in the box. The roots 

 may be washed in lukewarm water and the bulbs 

 replanted in clean sand in an ornamental pot. 

 Then the pot should be filled up with water, the 

 bulbs covered with clean green moss, and the result 

 is perfection. If they require staking, three or 

 four very thin green sticks are inserted near the 

 middle of the clump, and each stem is tied back 

 to its nearest stick with fine light green flax thread, 

 care being taken that the sticks are not so high as 

 the foliage. All the hardy bulbs which I have 

 mentioned may be treated in this way. The effect 

 of a large beau-pot, a foot or more in diameter, 

 nearly filled with white Italian hyacinths, and then 

 bordered with blue squills, is delightful, and an 

 equally good effect can be had with yellow crocuses 

 and white tulips, or in a dozen other different 

 combinations. But the larger the bowl the more 

 beautiful is the display. I have a rather shallow 

 blue one, about eighteen inches across, which is 

 unimaginably pretty when well planted. As the 

 stems get long and drawn the sprays are picked 

 for vases, and another potting-up ensues. And 

 so the bulb season goes on. 



A word must be said about the care of bulbs 

 when they have finished flowering, Freesias must 

 be kept in the greenhouse and receive their accus- 

 tomed supply of water until the foliage begins to 

 turn yellow. Then the water may be gradually 

 discontinued, and when the leaves are dead the 

 pots should be placed close to the glass, in the 



