TULIPS. 



'E have endeavored for years 

 to make the growing of 

 tulips more popular, by 

 showing how easily they 

 can be grown, and at the same time not 

 sacrifice any room, which is a great 

 object in small gardens. But what is 

 more important still, to have by their 

 assistance a constant display of bloom 

 from April until November. 



When the time for planting arrives, 

 which should not be later than the 

 middle of September, if we are to expect 

 the best results, the flower garden is a 

 mass of bloom which we do not wish to 

 disturb to make room for the tulip, con- 

 sequently they do not get planted. The 

 general impression is that they should 

 be planted annually, which is an error 

 of judgment at the expense of a loss of 

 flowers in May that cannot be afforded 

 and which need not be. 



One September we had sent us a 

 thousand bulbs of the late flowering or 

 show tulips, for which we immedi- 

 ately made room. We planted them 

 in rows lengthways of a bed fifty feet 

 long, placing the bulbs six inches apart 

 in the rows which were eight inches 

 apart ; but between every third row 

 we left a space of fourteen inches. 

 When planted we had twelve rows of 

 tulips with three broad spaces between. 

 There were filled with petunias that had 

 been grown in pots, and very soon after 

 the tulips were out of the way the 

 petunias completely covered the ground, 

 and a more showy mass cannot be 

 imagined. This not only utilized the 

 space but it shaded the ground so per- 

 fectly that the bulbs were not injured by 

 the summer's heat. After the frost had 

 completed its work of destruction, the 

 bed was cleared and covered to the 

 depth of four inches with coarse litter 



45': 



from the stable This was raked off 

 early in April, by which time the tulips 

 were well above ground, and now, where 

 we planted a single bulb we have a 

 clump of from four to eight flowering 

 bulbs. So rapid has been the increase 

 with this treatment that we shall take up 

 the bulbs soon after flowering and pre- 

 pare a similar bed for them again in 

 autumn, which will require to be at least 

 eight times the size of the present one. 



Our early tulips, planted in the same 

 manner, are a mass of flowers, and 

 do not show the least sign of neglect. 



It is well here to remark that while 

 we consider the tulip to be a perfectly 

 hardy bulb, capable of enduring any 

 amount of freezing without injury, in our 

 changeable climate there is, however, 

 some danger of injury from contraction 

 and expansion of soil caused by freezing 

 and thawing. It is, therefore, better to 

 protect the bulbs by a liberal mulch of 

 coarse manure or newly fallen leaves. 

 This not only affords protection against 

 injury from the action of the frost, but 

 it allows the bulbs to do much of their 

 spring's work during the winter, which 

 they will do if the ground is not frozen. 



HYACINTHS. 



In the border these come on rapid- 

 ly, and soon will make a grand display. 

 They were amply protected against 

 freezing by a heavy mulching of 

 coarse litter from the stables, which 

 they must have because hyacinths 

 are not hardy. These may be planted 

 in the same manner as we do the tulips, 

 and, if second size bulbs are planted, 

 they will flower well for three years, if 

 the bed is well covered with some 

 annual during summer. 



