148 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 



tion of their continuing- fine ; but my surprise was great, 

 when I found them the second season, worthless. I then 

 surmised, from their degenerating, that the climate was not 

 congenial, which opinion has been strengthened by expe- 

 rience. It is still my impression that if the bulbs could be 

 acclimated, the obstacle would be obviated. I then com- 

 menced planting the small offsets, saved from the large 

 bulbs ; some flowered the first year ; in the second, I took 

 them up and replanted them into another bed, at the proper 

 season, which appeared to answer well, until the fourth 

 year, when the season was rainy and nearly the whole rot- 

 ted. Thus my golden dreams vanished, and in some 

 measure I was satisfied it was fallacious to cultivate them, 

 unless renewed every season, with fresh imported bulbs at 

 a cheap rate. Still, it would be as well for others to try 

 from offsets, for my being unfortunate is not sufficient proof 

 that, others should not succeed. I should therefore recom- 

 mend their being planted in a rich sandy loam, from the 

 middle of October to November, in an open, airy situation, 

 in a bed four feet wide, which will enable a person to weed 

 from either side with facility. Have your bed of any 

 length, according to the number of bulbs to be planted. 

 Plant seven across at equal distance, and nine inches apart 

 the other way. When you are ready to plant, make a 

 channel five inches deep, and lay the bulbs on sand, which 

 will prevent water from stagnating or settling against them ; 

 and also keep the bulbs warm ; when thus placed, draw the 

 soil over them, and when the cold weather sets in, cover 

 the bed with manure, or tanner's bark, about one inch 

 thick, to preserve the bulbs from the severity of the frost, 

 and the deleterious effects of heavy rains, both being detri- 



