BULBS 



BULBS 



193 



The exceptions to the above advice are liliums and 

 lily-of-the-valley. Liliitm Harrisii and Lilhim lonyi- 

 florum bulbs particularly, in addition to throwing ouT 

 roots from the base of the bulbs, usually form roots 

 from the new stem just above the bulb, and the plants 

 and flowers derive much strength from these top roots. 

 So in potting lily bulbs, it is best to put them down so 

 deep that there will be sufficient soil above the bulbs to 

 entice and sustain the stem roots. In other respects 

 treat the bulbs after potting as just advised. Winter- 

 flowering lily-of-the-valley forms no new roots. The 

 thick, fleshy, fibrous old roots should be trimmed at the 

 bottom, leaving them from 2 to 3 inches long. This al- 

 lows them to absorb the abundant moisture with which 

 they should be supplied while the flowers and foliage 

 are developing. They flower just as well in sand or 

 moss, or anything that retains an even moisture and 

 temperature, as they do in soil, but lily-of-the-valley 

 for flowering in the house or greenhouse requires freez- 

 ing before it can be successfully brought into flower. 

 Without freezing, many pips will "come blind," or pro- 

 duce malformed spikes. So it is just as well for ama- 

 teurs to plant their pips an inch or two apart in pots or 

 bulb-pans, and plunge them in the garden, as recom- 

 mended for other hardy bulbs. Florists generally freeze 

 their pips in refrigerators, or have them placed, just as 

 they arrive from Germany, 2,500 pips in a case, in cold 

 storage, in a temperature of from 28 to 30. 



After being forced or flowered in the greenhouse or 

 window, hardy bulbs are of little value, for most bulbs 

 suitable for the purpose have attained their maximum 

 size, and, in consequence, are ready to break up. Flor- 

 ists usually throw these bulbs away. Still, if space can 

 be spared for the bulbs to complete their growth after 

 flowering and ripening, many of them can be utilized 

 for planting in the mixed border or garden, there to 

 remain, where some of them will eventually recuperate 

 . and flower. 



Half-hardy bulbs for winter-flowering and forcing 

 should be treated the same as hardy bulbs, excepting 

 that after potting they should be placed for rooting 

 where they will not freeze. Yet they can go pretty close 

 to it and be all the better for it. In northern states, a 

 coldframe or pit or cold greenhouse to root them in is, 

 therefore, almost indispensable. For tender winter- and 

 summer-flowering greenhouse bulbs, the culture varies 

 with almost every species, and as no general instruc- 

 tions would suit all kinds, the reader may refer to their 

 individual cultures given under their respective head- 

 ings in this Cyclopedia. ( See list of species at the end 

 of this article.) 



The flowering of bulbs in glasses, bowls, unique pots, 

 etc., is always interesting. Among the most successful 

 and interesting are hyacinth bulbs in glasses of water. 

 Use early-flowering single varieties only. The seedsmen 

 and dealers in bulbs supply special hyacinth glasses 

 for the purpose. They come in various shapes, colors 

 and decorations, and vary in price from 20 cts. to $1.50 

 each. These are simply filled with fresh, pure water. 

 A lump of charcoal thrown in absorbs impurities, but it 

 is not absolutely necessary. The bulb rests in a cup- 

 shaped receptacle on top of the glass. In filling, the 

 water should not quite touch the bottom of the bulb. 

 Put in a cool, dark, airy place until the roots have 

 reached the bottom of- the glass, which should be in 

 about six weeks. Do not place them in a close, warm 

 closet. They must have fresh air. As the water evapo- 

 rates, fill the glasses, and change the water entirely when 

 needed to keep it sweet and clear. After rooting, place 

 the glasses in a light storeroom where the temperature 

 averages about 50, until the stems and foliage have 

 developed ; then remove to a warm, sunny window for 

 flowers to open. There are other kinds that do equally 

 well when rooted in water, providing the largest healthy 

 bulbs are chosen. Among them are sprekelia ( Jacobeean 

 lily), Trumpet narcissus Horsfieldi and Golden Spur, 

 polyanthus narcissus Grand Monarque and Gloriosa, 

 large bulbs of Roman hyacinths, early single tulips, 

 and Mammoth Yellow crocus, etc. We have flowered 

 hyacinths on a piece of virgin cork floating in an aqua- 

 rium, a hole being cut through the cork for the roots to 

 reach the water. The so-called "Chinese Sacred Lily," 

 a variety of Polyanthus narcissus, grows and flowers 



13 



luxuriantly in bowls of water, provided they are not 

 placed in a dry, furnace-heated room, which will cause 

 the buds to blast before opening. Sufficient pebbles or 

 shells should surround the bulbs to prevent them from 

 toppling over. 



Crocus, Roman hyacinths and lily-of-the-valley pips 

 are very pretty when nicely flowered in columnar, hedge- 

 hog- or beehive-shaped hollow pots with holes for the 

 reception of the bulbs. A bulb is placed in front of each 

 hole from the inside, with the crown of the bulb looking 

 outward. The pot is then filled with soil through the 

 large opening in the bottom, moss being pressed in last 

 to hold the contents in place, after which the pots are 

 put outside for the bulbs to root, as explained for other 

 hardy bulbs for the house. 



KEEPING DORMANT BULBS, TUBERS, ETC. Bulbs and 

 tubers of the various species, as well as their varieties, 

 vary greatly in size. Some, like oxalis, snowdrops, 

 chionodoxas, etc., often do not exceed half an inch in 

 diameter, while other bulbs, such as those of Caladium 

 esculentum, certain arums, crinums, etc., attain great 

 size, frequently weighing several pounds each. Such 

 solid bulbs as those of tulips, hyacinths, narcissus, 

 etc., will remain out of the ground solid and plump, in 

 a suitable place, for three or four months. The larger 

 the bulb the longer it will keep, as a rule. Large cri- 

 num bulbs have been kept for fifteen months. Still, it 

 is always better to plant the bulbs as soon as possible, 

 for, although they keep, they do not improve, and their 

 tendency is always towards drying out and loss of vi- 

 tality. 



Never keep bulbs packed up air-tight. They are apt 

 to generate heat or sweat, mold or rot, or to start. 

 When solid bulbs are to be kept dormant for any length 

 of time, they should be stored away from bright light in 

 baskets, shallow boxes or slatted trays, in a room or 

 cellar where there is a circulation of fresh air and the 

 temperature is as cool as possible. Forty degrees is the 

 desideratum for all excepting tender bulbs. Scale-like 

 bulbs, as liliums, soon dry out and shrivel if exposed 

 to the air for any length of time ; therefore, they are 

 best kept in open boxes packed with some substance 

 that will retain a slight and even moisture, such as 

 sphagnum moss, rotted leaf -mold, cocoanut fiber refuse, 

 or moist sand, but they must be kept cold to check any 

 efforts to start. Fleshy roots, like those of peonies, 

 certain irises, astilbes, etc., should be treated like the 

 lily bulbs. When a cold-storage room, with an average 

 temperature of 36 to 40, is available, it is the safest 

 place to carry over hardy bulbs and roots for spring 

 planting. 



Lily-of-the-valley pips are carried in rooms of about 

 28 to 30. The pips and packing freeze solid ; and here 

 they are kept for months until wanted for forcing. 

 When they are removed from this arctic chamber, they 

 must be thawed out gradually and as soon as possible, 

 by plunging in cold water, before they are subjected to 

 any heat ; otherwise, they are likely to rot. For this 

 reason, "cold-storage pips " cannot be safely shipped any 

 distance in warm weather, this often being the cause of 

 the country florists' disappointment in results. 



Tender dormant bulbs, as begonias, gloxinias, ama- 

 ryllis, pancratiums, tigridias, tuberoses, etc., must be 

 kept in a warm, dry atmosphere, not below 50. The 

 cause of tuberoses not flowering is often that the 

 bulbs have been kept below 40, which destroys the 

 flower germ, although the foliage grows just as vigor- 

 ously. Tender tubers, such as dahlias, cannas, etc., 

 should be stored in dry sand in a warm, dry cellar or 

 under the greenhouse bench. 



HINTS ON BUYING AND SELECTING BULBS. As already 

 said, bulbs can develop only the flowers which were 

 formed within them before they were ripened. A bulb 

 may be poor because not full grown or too young, or 

 because grown in impoverished soil or under unconge- 

 nial conditions, or because it may not have been matured 

 when dug ; or it may be injured from heating, sweating, 

 rotting or moldiness in storage or transit, caused by 

 improper curing or packing, or it may be dried out from 

 having been out of the ground too long. In the major- 

 ity of cases in which poor bulbs are planted, however, 

 it is the buyer's fault in procuring cheap bulbs, which 

 in many cases are second grades, lacking age and 



