80 BRECK'S BOOK OF FLOWERS. 



taken off and placed by itself, while the subsoil must be takr:n 

 off out of the way. I have found the best soil for Tulips to be 

 that made of decayed turfs, from an old pasture, well incorpo- 

 rated with old, thoroughly-decomposed cow-manure, with a little 

 sand, if the soil be adhesive ; for the Tulip and most bulbs delight 

 in a loose soil. The exact quantity of these three materials is 

 laid down by some florist as one third of each, but I have not 

 been so nice. My mould is light enough without much sand, 

 and the quantity of manure is very small, not more than one 

 eighth. When highly manured, the flowers will make a ranker 

 growth, but it is injurious to the flower. The mould or soil 

 should be prepared beforehand, and frequently turned to receive 

 the influence of the air and sun. When the bed has been dug 

 out as directed, the cavity is to be filled with this compost, a 

 week or ten days before planting. My practice is to fill it 

 even with the surface of the ground. This, when settled, 

 will be the right depth to plant the bulbs, if planted on the 

 surface. The planting should be done in a pleasant day. It 

 should not be done directly after a heavy rain, for then the soil 

 will be heavy. That the roots may be planted exact, I prepare 

 a board, six and a half inches wide, the length the width of the 

 bed. On the edges of the board I mark the distances the 

 bulbs are to be planted from each other, by sawing in a notch ; 

 thus, three inches from the end, for the first, and from that 

 seven inches, until the whole number, seven, are made, which 

 will leave three inches on the other side. Stretch a line on 

 one side of the bed, and, by keeping one end of the board up to 

 it, the planting may be made without any trouble, and every 

 root in its right place, provided the board is placed square 

 across the bed at each removal. Having placed the board, let 

 some fine sand be placed where the bulbs are to be set. The 

 roots should then be gently pressed into the earth, close up to the 

 notch, but not so deep as to cover them, the large bulbs a little 

 deeper than the smaller ones, and remove the board; then 

 completely envelop each root with a little cone of sand, or very 

 sandy earth, and so proceed until all the bulbs are se.t. Now 



