BULBS. 



73 



BULBS. 



but consisting of one mass throughout like 

 the potato. It differs, however, from the 

 potato in that the roots, by which nourish- 

 ment is drawn from the soil, are sent forth 

 anew each year, from a ring or circular 

 patch at the base of the bulb, and not from 

 eyes, as in the potato, from which stalk 

 and roots both proceed, the former in an 

 upward direction, and the latter down- 

 wards. Fleshy masses like the gladiolus 

 and crocus, are called corms, to distinguish 

 them from the tunicated bulb of the hya- 

 cinth and the scaly bulb of the lily, and 

 masses like the potato and dahlia are 

 called tubers. 



Bulbs, Management and Cul- 

 ture of. 



As far as these points are concerned, the 

 treatment of all bulbs in the open air, and 

 indeed in pots, is similar to a great extent 

 for every variety. The more hardy kinds, 

 and notably the common garden lilies, 

 will thrive in any ordinary garden soil, 

 fairly worked and fairly enriched ; but it is 

 necessary for their welfare that it should 

 be well drained, and in no way water- 

 logged. Generally speaking, however, a 

 light soil or sandy loam is preferred by 

 bulbs, and if the soil of the garden be at 

 all inclined to be heavy, it is desirable to 

 lighten it by working in sand, at and 

 around each spot in which a clump of bulbs 

 is to be planted ; and to add some leaf 

 mould and manure from a spent hot bed, 

 if the soil be poor. Bulbs, as a rule, 

 should be planted deep, especially cro- 

 cuses, gladioli, and lilies, because the 

 bulbs are then less likely to suffer from the 

 effects of frost. No attempt should be 

 made, after flowering, to remove leaves or 

 flower-stalks until they have withered and 

 decayed to such an extent that they may 

 be removed by a very slight effort. The 

 long sword-like leaves of crocuses, hya- 

 cinths, &c., should be neatly plaited to- 



gether, to obviate untidiness of appearance, 

 and allowed to remain until they are quite 

 decayed. The dead flowers may be, and 

 indeed ought to be, cut off just below the 

 spike of bloom, unless it is wished to save 

 seed. This holds good for all bulbs that 

 have a woody or strong flower stem. 

 When the leaves have completely died 

 away, bulbs may be taken up and allowed 

 to dry. They should then be kept in a 

 dry place, to which the air has free access, 

 until the time for planting comes round 

 again, which commences in October for 

 hyacinths, &c., and ends in April for late- 

 flowering varieties of the gladioli, the 

 period of planting being regulated in a 

 degree by the period of flowering. 



Such, briefly, is the accepted creed with 

 regard to the culture of bulbs, and, for sale 

 purposes, it is absolutely necessary that 

 bulbs should be taken up when their leaves 

 are withered and dried, so that transit 

 from place to place may be effected when 

 they are in this condition, and without 

 tender and succulent rootlets to suffer 

 injury by removal and carriage. But in 

 the amateur's garden, bulbs may be 

 suffered to remain where they are from 

 year's end to year's end, provided that the 

 soil is suitable, the drainage sufficient, and 

 that they are planted deep. Bulbs have a 

 tendency to rise to the surface, especially 

 corms, for in the crocus and gladiolus, 

 though not in the cyclamen, the new 

 corms are formed every year on the top of 

 the old corms which perish. The continu- 

 ance of bulbs in the places in which they 

 are first planted, leads to the formation of 

 splendid masses, from which at the proper 

 season rise glorious flower spikes, rich in 

 colour, and in some cases endowed with 

 delicious fragrance. Flowers are far more 

 satisfying to the senses of sight and smell 

 when in groups and masses, than they can 

 possibly be as single specimens. What 

 can be more desirable than a clump of 



