92 QUARTERLY JOURNAL. 



they are planted in beds, it should be done about the last of April 

 or first of May, in rows one foot apart, placing the bulbs six inches 

 apart, and not quite covering them with earth. In October take 

 them up, and keep them in a dry room through the winter. Pro- 

 pagated — by offsets, which are not to be removed from the main 

 bulb till just before planting. These will flower the second year. 



CROCUS. 



These should be taken up as soon as the foliage is decayed, anc 

 in October planted in fresh soil — loamy sand — foliage not to b( 

 jemoved till decayed. These may be grown in pots in the wintei 

 in the house, and the flowers, which close every evening, will oper 

 in a strong lamp-light at night — propagated by offsets. 



DAHLIA. 



As soon as the sprouts begin to start in the spring the root 

 should be carefully divided with a sharp knife, leaving one or tw( 

 good buds attached to each root ; set them in pots in light, ricl 

 earth, in a warm room, and water them well. About the middl 

 of May or the first of June they may be transferred with the ball o 

 earth entire to the open ground. If they are not turned out til 

 June they will display their flowers after the hot season is over. 



The soil for dahlias should be very rich and deep. A hoi 

 should be dug a foot or eighteen inches deep, and filled with fres 

 earth mixed with one-third good manure. 



When the plants are turned out, good stout stakes of sufficier 

 height should be placed in the ground by the side of them, t 

 which they should be tied as they grow, to prevent their bein 

 broken down by the wind. 



When the tops are first injured by the frost, they should be ci 

 down within six inches of the ground, and the roots covered wit 

 a thin layer of straw or litter, and left to ripen. In a week the 

 may be taken up, shaken clean from earth, and packed in dry san 

 and in a warm room for winter. By not suffering them to ripe 

 well in the ground before taking them up, many people lose thei 

 dahlias in the winter. 



DAFFODIL, JONQUIL, NARCISSUS. 



Select such bulbs as are rounded towards the base, with fu! 

 round tops — not mouldy nor with decayed fibres at the bottoir' 



