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at certain periods after flowering, at which time 

 the root becomes in an inactive state of growth 

 for some time, as six weeks or two months; in 

 which period, and before they put out new fibres, 

 to prepare for the future .flower, it is proper to 

 remove them, either to separate the off-sets for 

 propagation, to plant the roots in fresh prepared 

 earth, or to convey them to any other place. 

 And likewise to preserve them out of ground for 

 autumn and spring planting. 



Most sorts, taken up at this period, may be 

 kept out of ground several months ; and some 

 sorts admit of being kept out of the ground, 

 from the time the flowers and leaves decay, 

 until the following spring, as is often practised, to 

 obtain alonger succession of bloom in the flowers. 

 L5ut bulbous roots may remain several years un- 

 ■removed; and, when greatly increased by off- 

 sets, taken up at the proper period, to separate 



tin 



reused 



progeny. 



It is, however, necessary to take up all the 

 elioice kinds of bulbous roots annually, to 

 separate the off-sets for increase, as well as to 

 prepare the earth of the beds and borders afresh, 

 to promote the fineness of the succeeding year's 

 bloom, as in tulips, hyacinths, narcissus, &c. 

 The inferior sorts of bulbous roots should also 

 be removed every other year, or as often as 

 their off-sets are considerably increased; as, 

 when increased into large bunches, they cramp 

 each other in growth, and produce small ill- 

 nourished flowers. All the bulbous roots taken 

 up at the above period, should, where practi- 

 cable, be planted again the following autumn, 

 as they flower much stronger in this way 

 than when kept out of ground till the spring 

 season. 



In order to preserve them in the best manner, 

 when out of the ground, they should be placed 

 in a dry situation. 



Mr. Marshall in his work on Gardening di- 

 rects that autumn-flowering bulbs, when their 

 leaves are decayed, should be taken up in May; 

 and that none of the kinds remain too long 

 without being taken up, as they are liable to 

 be cramped and confined in their growth, and 

 of course decline in their beauty. 



It is recommended as the best practice, with 

 flowering bulbs, to plant the spring kinds in 

 the beginning of the autumn, as in the latter 

 end of September, or beginning of the follow- 

 ing month; and those of the summer flowering 

 in October, or the succeeding month ; and 

 those of the autumn blow in the latter part of 

 July, or in the following month; — too early 

 and too late planting being equally to be 

 avoided, as when put in too soon they arc liable 

 to be injured by being too forward when the 



winter and early spring prove severe, and when 

 delayed too long they are apt previously to 

 exhaust themselves by forming roots. 



Bulbs of the laminated kinds, such as lilies 

 should not he kept out of the soil longer than 

 six or eight weeks; the summer-flowering sorts 

 being set at separate periods in the autumn, and 

 in the beginning of the year, before the latter 

 end of February, so as to produce a succession 

 of flowers. With others of a more delicate 

 nature, this method is also common ; but they 

 should have a dry sandy soil in order to stand 

 the winter without rotting, where there happens 

 to be much wet, succeeded by severe fronts. In 

 these cases the protection of mats and the 

 haulm of peas may often be found useful. 



When bulbs have remained in the ground 

 longer than the proper period, so as to have 

 struck out new roots, they should always be re- 

 moved with balls of earth, as where this is not 

 attended to thev grow weak. On this account 

 the exact period for removal should be carefully 

 observed. 



The off-sets of bulbous roots should, in ge- 

 neral, be put into the ground a considerable 

 time before the periods of planting out the 

 full-sized roots : those taken from laminated 

 bulbs mostly requiring to be immediately re- 

 planted. 



The soil most adapted to the growth of 

 bulbous roots in general, is that of a sandy 

 loam, where there is no stagnation of moisture 

 below. Many sorts of these roots are not, how- 

 ever, very difficult in this respect, provided 

 there be not an over-proportion of moisture. 

 The ground for them should be prepared by 

 digging it to the depth of from six to eight or 

 ten inches, or more, reducing it well in the 

 operation. After this has been done, it should 

 remain a week or ten days before they are put in 

 to become perfectly settled. 



In regard to the disposal of these roots in 

 planting, it is, for the larger and more curious 

 sorts, in beds a little rounded, of three, four, 

 or more feet in width, according to circum- 

 stances, or in patches *in the common borders 

 for the smaller kinds, in clusters of three, four, 

 or five together, according to their growth. 

 With the large sorts, such as the white and 

 orange lily, crown imperial, &c, one in a 

 place is sufficient. The fancy sorts of flower- 

 ing bulbs, when planted in beds, are usually 

 put in rows eight or nine inches apart, and 

 from five to seven inches distant, in proportion 

 to their growth. Some prefer less room; but 

 where a strong How is required, these distances 

 are not too great. Hyacinths should in general 

 have the space of seven or eight inches, and 

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