590 



El'LB 



BULB 



weather has set in and a light crust has been frozen 

 on the soil, then cover the bed with leaves, straw, 

 marsh hay or reeds to a depth of about 4 to 6 inches. 

 This protects not only from severe freezing, but from 

 equally injurious unseasonable thaws. Do not put the 

 covering on too early, for it might warm the soil so 

 that the bulbs would begin to grow and afterward be 

 injured from freezing. Gradually remove the covering 

 in the spring. 



The general run of bulbous plants thrive in a loamy 

 soil, inclining to sand. This soil attracts moisture, 

 allows free drainage, and admits air. If the soil is cold 

 and stiff, a liberal admixture of leaf-mold and sand, with 

 the addition of manure applied as previously described, 

 will be beneficial. The texture of the soil should be such 

 that stagnant water will not remain around the bulbs, 

 as it tends to rot them, particularly when dormant. An 

 excess of humus is, therefore, to be guarded against 

 for most bulbs. 



While most bulbous plants thrive under the soil condi- 

 tions advised above, yet there are many exceptions. 

 Happy should be the man on whose grounds is found a 

 variety of soils and exposures, shade and sun. A small 

 wooded valley or ravine, with a brook flowing through 

 it into an open, moist meadow, affords conditions suitable 

 for growing to perfection the greatest variety of bulbous 

 and other plants, many of which cannot be enjoyed in 

 the average garden. The hyacinth is a notable exception 

 in regard to soil conditions. In Holland this bulb is grown 

 in pure sand, and soon becomes diseased in heavier soil. 

 This should indicate that in this country plenty of sand 

 should be added to the natural soil, and that the bulbs 

 should not be left in the ground during the summer. 



The sooner bulbs can be put in the ground after they 

 are ripe, the better for the bulbs; for, no matter how 

 long they will keep, they do not improve when put 

 of the ground, but tend to dry out and lose vitality. 

 This is particularly true of the narcissi, which give very 

 noticeably larger flowers when the bulbs are planted 

 early. All of the sorts having a strain of poeticus blood 

 begin the new root-growth almost as soon as they have 

 ripened, and are far better off if they can be in the 

 ground early. There are, however, many reasons why 

 bulbs cannot be planted as soon as ripe; and when they 

 are to be kept for certain purposes, they should be stored 

 as advised below. Hardy spring-flowering bulbs should 

 be planted in the open ground in the fall, not earlier 

 than six weeks before regular frosty and freezing nights 

 are expected. Plant as much later as necessary, provid- 

 ing the bulbs are keeping sound, but it is not advisable 

 to plant them earlier. Cool weather is necessary to 

 deter top growth, which is very liable to start after four 

 to six weeks of root develop- 

 ment; and young, succulent 

 top growth is apt to be in- 

 jured by the succeeding 

 freezing. In Maine, Ontario, 

 Wisconsin, and other north- 

 ern parts (about 45 degrees 

 north latitude), such hardy 

 bulbs as hyacinths, tulips 

 and narcissi, may be planted 

 in September. In New Jer- 

 sey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and 

 so on (about 40), plant 

 about the middle of October. 

 In the latitude of Richmond, Louisville, and St. Louis, 

 the middle of November is early enough. In the lati- 

 tude of Raleigh, Nashville, and south, do not plant until 

 middle of December; and for the latter section let the 

 selection of bulbs run to late-flowering varieties, such as 

 Bizarre, Darwin, and late double tulips, late hyacinths, 

 late narcissi, and the like, for they are not so likely to 

 be caught by the occasional freezing weather in January 

 and February. In this southern latitude, however, very 

 early-flowering bulbs, such as Roman hyacinths, Due 



684. Potato. Example of 

 a tuber. 



Van Tholl tulips, Early Polyanthus narcissi, and so on, 

 if planted in September, are usually through blooming 

 before freezing weather begins. South of the freezing 

 belt, hardy spring-flowering bulbs are not very success- 

 ful, as a rule, there being no sufficiently cool weather to 

 deter top-growth and force root-action first, without 

 which the flowers and foliage will not develop beyond 

 such sustenance as the bulb can supply; and this sus- 

 tenance is usually exhausted by the time the flower- 

 spikes are half grown. But there are many half-hardy 

 and tender bulbs that are more easily grown and flow- 

 ered in the South than in the North. 



Subsequent treatment of outdoor bulbs. 



The treatment of bulbs after flowering is important 

 when the bulbs are to be used again, for it must never 

 be forgotten that the flowers and resources for the next 

 season are garnered within the bulb after blooming, 

 through the agency of the roots and foliage. Imper- 

 fectly developed and matured foliage this year means 

 poor flowers or none at all next year; so it is best to 

 leave the bulbs alone until the leaves have died down. 

 The further treatment depends upon the kind of bulbs 

 under consideration. Generally speaking, one class may 

 be left in the ground for a number of years, while 

 another thrives better if lifted annually and given a 

 short period of rest out of the ground. Among this 

 latter class must, of course, be included tender bulbs 

 which will not survive the winter if left in the beds or 

 borders and which should be taken up in the fall when 

 matured. Of the hardy bulbs, hyacinths and tulips 

 succeed best if lifted annually. Late tulips in borders 

 may be left undisturbed for two or three years with 

 fairly good results, but the single early kinds ought to 

 be taken up each year. 



Lifting of any bulbs should never be done before the 

 foliage assumes a decidedly limp and brown appearance. 

 From that time on until the root-growth begins, they 

 may be taken up, cleaned, and stored away, or divided 

 and replanted at once. The former method is advisable 

 for hyacinths and tulips; the latter for most of the bulbs 

 on the list appended hereto. When bulbs are grown 

 commercially, this yearly lifting is essential in order to 

 make provision for propagation by division or by offsets, 

 as the young bulbs mature more rapidly and perfectly 

 when separated from the parent bulb. When summer 

 bedding-plants are to be substituted, it is sometimes 

 necessary to remove bulbs before ripe. In such cases, 

 the bulbs should be carefully taken up with a spade. 

 Disturb the roots as little as possible, and do not cut 

 or crush the leaves. Heel-in the plants in a shallow 

 trench in some half-shady out-of-the-way place until 

 ripe, taking pains to avoid setting them too close in the 

 trench to secure some air-space about the tops. If the 

 soil adheres to the roots when taken from the beds, the 

 bulbs will be less affected by being disturbed before 

 maturing. As soon as ripe, they should be dug up, 

 cleaned, and stored away. A point to be kept in mind 

 is that it is safer to lift tulips too early than too late; 

 these bulbs should be taken up just before the stems are 

 quite dry. By doing so the protective skin about the bulb 

 is more likely to be retained during the time the bulbs 

 are out of the ground. Darwin tulips have especially 

 thin skins which frequently loosen and come off entirely 

 if the bulbs are left too long, and then the bulbs tend to 

 become soft and flabby during the resting period. Nar- 

 cissi should be taken up with whatever foliage has not 

 quite withered away. Indeed, it is always wisest never 

 to cut a leaf from choice kinds, but to make plantings 

 of cheap kinds if leaves are wanted for cutting. 



Summer- and autumn-flowering tender bulbs for spring 

 planting. 



This class (tender) includes some of our showiest 

 garden flowers, which are almost indispensable. They 

 are of the easiest possible culture. Planted in the spring, 



