412 THE PRINCIPLES OF FLORICULTURE 



mended that for hyacinths and tulips about six inches of 

 the top soil be removed, and the manure and bone spread 

 evenly over and spaded in. After the surface is leveled, 

 a layer of one-fourth inch of sand is added, and the bulbs 

 are set on this. The six inches of top soil is then replaced. 

 Planted in this way, the bulbs develop evenly and come 

 into flower at exactly the same time. It is impossible to 

 get all bulbs in the ground at exactly the same depth in 

 any other way. 



For the hyacinth, a depth of five to six inches to the 

 bottom of the bulb is nearly correct. There is a tendency 

 to plant all bulbs too shallow. The bulbs root during the 

 fall and early winter, and if too near the surface, alternate 

 freezing and thawing and a consequent heaving of the 

 soil often cause a breaking of the roots, and inferior 

 flowers are produced. 



679. Mulching. In the early winter and after the 

 ground has become frozen, the bulb beds should be given 

 a light mulch of straw, leaves or strawy manure. This 

 prevents the alternate freezing and thawing, and subse- 

 quent injury to the root system. The mulch should not 

 be put on too early, for it tends to warm the soil and the 

 root system continues to develop late in the fall. Flower 

 buds also start sometimes, and later are injured by winter 

 and spring freezing. The mulch need not be over six 

 inches thick, and in the spring should be removed 

 gradually. It should never be left on long enough 

 to injure the flower stalks or to make their develop- 

 ment abnormal. This system of mulching applies to 

 all bulbs. 



/ 680. Tulips, botanical classification. Order, Lili- 



\ acese ; genus, Tulipa (from Oriental name for turban} ; 



\species : suaveolens, early tulips ; Gesneriana, late tulips ; 



