September: Fifth Week 



BULBS FOR WINTER BLOOM: NARCISSI, HYA- 

 CINTHS, AND TULIPS FOR FORCING; OTHER 

 FLOWERING BULBS; CUTTINGS TO ROOT 

 NOW 



Of all the flowers available for indoor culture in the winter 

 window garden, bulbs give the greatest assurance of suc- 

 cess with the least trouble. Their requirements are the 

 simplest; they are perhaps the cheeriest of all flowers; 

 many of them are deliciously fragrant; their cost is trifling; 

 and they may be had in a constant succession of bloom 

 throughout the winter and early spring. In fact, with the 

 proper facilities for storing them after planting, practically 

 all the work for a whole winter's succession of flowers can 

 be done in one afternoon; they are then simply taken from 

 their winter quarters into warmth and light as required, 

 with about as little trouble as it takes to get the day's 

 supply of canned vegetables from the cellar shelf. 



The cultural requirements of bulbs for winter bloom, 

 although simple, are imperative. They may be mentioned 

 in order as follows: Selection of suitable varieties; 

 purchase of healthy, heavy bulbs; properly mixed soil; 

 correct planting; development of root growth before forcing; 

 a gradual start in forcing; and congenial conditions of light 

 and temperature while growing and blooming. 



A great variety of bulbs are forced commercially, some 

 of which the amateur grower, particularly the beginner, 

 will do best to omit. With the possible exception of the 

 lily-of-the-valley, the bulbs which the commercial grower 

 can force have no advantages over those available for the 

 window garden. The latter include hyacinths, narcissi, 

 tulips of some varieties, Easter lilies, freesias and gladioli. 



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