68 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



and throw out bulbs from their sides and tops, and sometimes up- 

 on the stem of the plant itself. Tubers increase in size and pro- 

 duce eyes or buds, and can be divided into as many pieces as 

 there are buds. Corms increase generally- from the top of the old 

 corm, which decaj's. 



In speaking of different bulbs, tubers, and corms, I shall make no 

 attempt to treat them distinctively, but shall use the word bulb to 

 indicate all, as that is a term generally so used, and it would con- 

 fuse man}- people to adhere to the more exact scientific terms ; 

 moreover it is not of these store-houses thnt we propose to speak 

 toda}', so much as of their contents and culture. 



It is not the quantity of suggestions that is valuable, in most 

 cases, but the quality. Therefore it is better to discuss a few 

 kinds of bulbs thoroughly than to touch on and treat superficially 

 every sort we can think of. No valuable knowledge is gained in 

 the latter case, but only a jumble of shallow suggestions of no 

 great use to any one. 



In the northern states we have quite a large number of indigen- 

 ous Lilies, Arums, etc. ; but we cultivate vciy few of them, be- 

 cause we like them best in their native haunts. If cultivation 

 would improve them it would be worth while to transplant them to 

 our gardens, but in most cases it is quite diflicult to make them 

 grow at all, and still more so to make them grow satisfactorily-. It 

 is best therefore, speaking generally, to forbear all cultivation of 

 native plants and bulbs, unless we have places for them as nearly 

 as possible like that from which the}- come ; although our native 

 lilies, L, Canadense and L. superbnm, do well in cultivation, and 

 well repay the cultivator. 



As I understand, this paper and the discussion which is to fol- 

 low are mainly for the benefit of members of this Society. There- 

 fore let it be distinctly understood that we are speaking chiefly in 

 reference to INIassachusetts cultivators, and considering wlial can 

 be of use in Massachusetts gardens. 



It would be of no i>resent practical use to speak of Spring bulbs, 

 since all that can be successfully cultivated are, or should be, 

 already in the ground ; — the snowdrop, hyacinth, crocus, tulip, 

 narcissus, — in short all that go to make up our habitual s[)ring 

 display. 



Our climate is so variable that we can never toll when we are 

 out of the reach of frosts. Location makes a dillcivnce of a week 



