THE BEST BEDDING PLANTS 



197 



jo include all of those plants in the stock you carry as they don't 

 liffer much as regards treatment during the Spring months. 



BULBS 



matter how large or small your establishment, how good or poor 

 r our facilities for growing cut flowers, so-called Dutch bulb stock can 

 rays be made a profitable crop for those who retail what they grow. 



'HE florist who can manage to have a supply of French-grown 

 Narcissi and Roman Hyacinths in flower from early December 

 n, followed by English and Holland stock, home-grown Freesias, Japan 

 jlies and California or Florida Callas, can do business every day 

 dthout much else. While actually not all of these grow from 

 mlbs, the florist usually calls them such. The Dutch bulb stock 

 o which some of the best belong is all grown from bulbs, such as 

 [arcissi, Tulips and Hyacinths. 



We no sooner get through with the last Chrysanthemums than 

 ur patrons begin to ask if we haven't some Spring flowers; and they 

 ron't grow tired of them for the next six months to come. 



UPON WHAT BULB SUCCESS DEPENDS 



With all the many varieties on hand and their easy culture, 

 here isn't any good reason why even the small florist shouldn't 

 lake it a point to always have a supply on hand during the Winter 

 lonths. The following are the main requirements if one would be 

 iccessful: Plant as early as you can in order to have well-rooted 

 lants before you bring them into heat for forcing. If you have no 

 ulb cellar, bring the flats, pots and pans in which you planted 



bulbs, in where you can cover them with 10 or 12 in. of soil, 

 ifter they have been thoroughly watered put each variety by itself 

 L nd provide a heavy wooden stake with the name of the variety and 



number of bulbs (these stakes should be long enough so that 

 ley can be seen above the soil) and an additional heavy layer of 

 trawy manure which should be placed on top of the soil as soon as 

 r inter sets in. Examine the soil every once in awhile, for it should 

 kept moist at all times and during a dry Fall has to be watered, 

 t is always well to place boards to set the flats or pans on, which 



give you a clean bottom when bringing them in later on. 



To attempt to force either Hyacinths, Tulips or Narcissi without 

 leir being thoroughly pot- or root-bound will always result in 

 lure. For early forcing a dark place and high temperature are 

 leeded in order to obtain flowers with reasonably long stems; this 

 mdition is usually provided by using space below some bench 

 -kened with boards, heavy paper or bags the darker the better- 

 id a steady heat of from 70 to 80 deg. Overhead heat is to be pre- 



