308 THE CULTURE OF FLOWERING BULBS 



limited culture. There are several varieties, including the African, 

 American, and Pearl, and all are easily flowered as pot plants in a 

 mixture of loam and leaf-mould, plunged in a bottom heat of 60 or 

 70. They grow rather tall, and should be kept near the glass. 



TULIP 



WHEN grown in pots, Tulips are treated in precisely the same manner 

 as the Hyacinth, but several bulbs, according to their size and the 

 purpose they are intended for, are placed in a pot. When required 

 to fill epergnes and baskets, and other elegant receptacles, it is a good 

 plan to grow them in shallow boxes, as recommended for Crocuses, 

 and transfer them when in flower to the vases and baskets. This 

 mode of procedure insures exactitude of colouring, height, and stage 

 of development, whereas, when the bulbs are grown from the first in 

 the ornamental vessels, they may not flower with sufficient uniformity 

 to produce a satisfactory display. In common with the Hyacinth 

 and Crocus, Tulips may be taken out of the soil in which they have 

 been grown, and after washing the roots clean, they can be inserted 

 in glasses for decorating an apartment. As the early Tulips are ex- 

 tremely cheap, they are often employed in this way to light up fes- 

 tive gatherings at Christmas and the early months of the year. The 

 early and medium varieties are admirably adapted for pot culture, 

 but late Tulips are not worth growing in pots because of their late- 

 ness ; otherwise, indeed, they are extremely beautiful, and the florists' 

 varieties are highly valued as exhibition flowers. 



For general usefulness the early Tulips are the most valuable 

 of all, because of their peculiarly accommodating nature, their many 

 and brilliant colours, and their suitability for the formation of rich 

 masses in the flower garden. Any good soil will suit them, and they 

 may be planted in quantities under trees if the position enjoys some 

 amount of sunshine, because they will have finished their growth 

 before the leafage of the trees shades them injuriously. If it is 

 necessary to prepare or improve the soil for them, the aim should 

 be to render it rich and sandy, and sufficiently drained to avoid a 

 boggy character in winter. Plant in October or November, four or 

 five inches deep, and six inches apart. The roots require no water 

 and no supports, and may all be taken up and stored away in good 

 time for the usual summer display of bedding plants. It is impor- 

 tant to select the sorts with care for geometric planting, but a most 



