BULBS - LAYERS - DIVISIONS 



Fig. 36. Tulip propagation. It is the natural method of propagation for tulips to send 

 out bulbels at their base (See page 86) 



customers who want flowers in bloom at Christmas. Only with 

 Hyacinths was this procedure found impracticable; but with Tulips 

 it gave indifferent results. 



"Harvesting. When the bulbs are taken up from the ground 

 the new bulbels are found to have grown to the size of acorns; the 

 mother bulb has almost entirely disappeared, having served as food 

 for her numerous progeny. These are now taken to the warehouses 

 and placed on laths to dry. This is merely a matter of providing 

 plenty of air and the ordin- 

 ary Summer temperature. 

 This is also the case with 

 the old bulbs of the 

 'notched' class. The opin- 

 ion prevalent in some 

 quarters that it is necessary 

 to apply absorbent material 

 to all the bulbs after treat- 

 ment, experience has shown 

 to be without foundation. 

 Only in the case of 'scooped' 

 bulbs have we found the ap- 

 plication of an absorbent at 

 all necessary. 



"The cleaning of the 

 bulbels, a process always 

 attended with a good deal of 

 danger of damaging them, is 

 deferred till the Fall, when 

 any injury the tender plants 

 might sustain will be speed- 

 ily healed by the earth Fig. 37. Bulblets. The sketch shows a Lily 

 v, U. +U ^1^1 stem u P n which small bulbs, or bulblets, are 



wherein they are placed produced (See page 92) 



