How to Have an Attractive Window in Winter 



"Wm. Hunt. Ontario Agricultural College. Gu«lph 



( X TO class of pot plants gives more 

 1^ pleasure and better results for 

 "*■ the time and labor expended on 

 them than do a well-selected collec- 

 tion of autumn potted bulbs. They 

 are particularly well suited for the 



free or early flowering as the white, 

 although the pink, rose, and blue shades 

 make a pleasing variation in color 

 effect. The colors should be potted 

 separately, especially the white, as it 

 usually flowers earher than the other 

 kinds. Roman hyacinths should be 

 planted three in a five-inch pot, or 

 more bulbs in a larger sized pot or 

 box to be effective. Single bulbs can 

 be planted in a five-inch pot, but un- 

 less the bulbs are extra good and large 

 the effect is slim looking and disap- 

 pointing. They look best grouped in 

 larger pots, boxes, or jardinieres, so 

 that there is about one and a half 

 inches of space between the bulbs when 

 set in the soil. 



DUTCH HYACINTHS 



The single flowering varieties of 

 Dutch hyacinths usually give the best 



1. Pot Properly Filled With Soil 

 Showing depth of space allowed for water. 



amateur flower lover as, by a little care 

 in their culture, a succession of their 

 beautiful fragrant blossoms can be had 

 from Christmas until Easter, or even 

 later in the season. Bulbs can be pot- 

 ted from September until the end of 

 November, but early potted bulbs give 

 best results. Bulbs of Roman hya- 

 cinths and early paper white narcissi 

 potted at once can be had in flower by 

 Christmas and New Year's. 



SELECTION OF BULBS 



To insure success in the pot culture 

 of bulbs especially, not only must the 

 species and varieties be carefully select- 

 ed, but good, sound, firm bulbs of the 

 best quaUty should be obtained. A 

 soft, spongy, ill-shapen bulb is of little 

 use to produce a flower spike under 

 anv conditions, more especially in pot 

 culture. Cheap bulbs are usually very 

 disappf>inting. Buy the best. Avoid 

 mixed collections, as oftentimes many 

 of the varieties in collections are use- 

 less, or not wanted. Named varieties 

 give the best results, especially in 

 Dutch hyacinths. A good selection of 

 bulbs for a young beginner are; First, 

 white Roman hyacinths ; second, named 

 Dutch hyacinths; and third, narcissi 

 in variety. Tulips and crocus do not 

 give as good results under pot culture 

 as do hyacinths and narcissi. 



ROMAN HYACINTHS 



The white flowering variety of Ro- 

 man hyacinth is the best. The other 

 colors are not as pretty in form or as 



NARCISSI IN VARIETY DO WELL IN POTS 



Most varieties of the narcissi are 

 suitable for pot culture. Among the 

 double ones, the Von Sion, or what is 

 generally known as the English daffodil, 

 ranks first in value , N. alba plena odorata 

 and A'^. incomparahiUs being two other 

 good kinds. The single or trumpet 

 narcissi afford an almost endless selec- 

 tion of varieties. Among the best are 

 Golden Spur, Horsfieldi, Princeps, 

 Trumpet Major, A'^. poeticus ornatus. 

 A p)Ot or two of jonquils, a variety of 

 narcissus, must not be (fmitted, their 

 delicious fragrance giving them an 

 extra value as a pot plant. 



The bunch, or polyanthus narcissi, 

 are also very acceptable, the early 

 paper white being one of the best on 

 account of its earhness. Potted early 

 it can be had in flower easily at Christ- 

 mas. Gloriosa is another variety of 

 this type of narcissus. The Chinese 

 sacred lily as figured in the cut is a 

 favorite variety of the bunch narcissi. 

 The foregoing will make a good selec- 

 tion to ensure a display from Christ- 

 mas until Easter. 



CULTURE AND CARE Ol' BULBS 



The soil for the pot culture of bulbs 

 does not need to be very rich in fertil- 

 izers. At the same time they will not 

 give the best results in very poor soil. 

 A potting compost of four parts well- 

 rotted sod and one part barnyard 



2. Dutch Hyacinths Planted, but too Shallow 



The top of the bulbs should have been one inch below 

 the top of the pot. 



results. The following Ust gives a 

 good selection of single and double 

 varieties: Single white. Grand Ve- 

 dette, Grand Vanqueur, Mont Blanc; 

 single red or rose, Gertrude, Moreno, 

 Norma; single blue, Charles Dickens, 

 Baron Von Thuyll, Queen of Blues; 

 double white, Flevo, La Tour d'Avergne ; 

 double red or rose, Koh-i-Noor, Regina 

 Victoria; double blue, Bloksberg, I,aur- 

 ens Koster. 



The selection of Dutch hyacinths is 

 largely a matter of taste in colors and 

 shades, as all named varieties are usu- 

 ally of standard excellence. Dutch 

 hyacinths look very well planted one 

 bulb in the centre of a four or five-inch 

 pot, and equally well in groups of three, 

 five, or seven in bulb pans or jardin- 

 ieres. There should be about two 

 inches of space between each bulb if 

 planted in groups. 



3. Top Growth of Bulbs 



showing stage at which it is advisable to bring them 

 into the window. 



manure or cow manure, with a one- 

 eighth part of fine sand mixed in, 

 makes a good compost for bulbs. This 

 compost, however, is not always ready 



