106 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



sary to lift tbem before the leaves turn. There is no danger of 

 injury to the bulbs when lifted soon after the petals drop, if prop- 

 erly done. They are removed to some perfectly drj* shed and 

 covered with earth for eight or ten days. At the expiration of 

 that time they will have ripened fully, the leaves and roots will 

 have become dry and the bulbs ready to clean and store. 



In Holland, when it is desired to produce blooms of the greatest 

 excellence for exhibition, great care is given to the preparation of 

 the beds. The natural earth is removed to the depth of eighteen 

 inches ; six inches in depth of manure is first put in and the bed 

 is then filkd with a mixture of old manure, loam, and sand, which 

 has been turned frequently* in sunny weather to kill the worms. 

 Sifted sharp sand surrounds the bulbs, which are planted in 

 October four inches deep. Before being set the skin is slightly 

 raised from the base of the bulbs to permit the roots to escape 

 more freely. As the season of flowering approaches, a raised 

 covering is put over the beds so that the flowers are protected 

 from injury by rain and direct sunlight. In this wa}- they are 

 made to last in bloom as long as a carnation, and their size and 

 color are enhanced and intensified. The history of the tulip is an 

 interesting one ; and, although the time is long ago past when 

 fortunes were spent in the purchase of a few coveted bulbs, their 

 real beaut}' and worth have never been more generally acknowl- 

 edged than at the present time. 



Much might be added of interest to horticulturists regarding 

 the cultivation of Narcissuses, Crocuses, Lilies, and other bulbs in 

 Holland, if time permitted, but I hope some one present may have 

 something to say about these in the discussion to follow. 



I have endeavored to describe things just as I saw them and 

 trust that some of the information conve3'ed,may be found useful 

 to cultivators here. 



Discussion. 



William E. Endicott asked whether the bulbs in Holland are 

 taken up every year. 



Mr. Farquhar replied that tulip bulbs are taken up every year. 

 The largest offsets of the narcissuses are taken up and sold. He 

 added that the hyacinths are never allowed to bloom, except in 

 the specimen beds ; indeed, the blooms of bulbs generally are 

 removed. The best growers keep the kinds separate ; the small 



