ABOUT FRUITS, FLOWERS AND FARMING. 347 



THE FLOWER GARDEN. 



SPRING FLOWERING-BULBS. When crocus, hyacinths, 

 narcissus, tulips, have done flowering, let the seed stalks 

 be cut <lo\vn, as the ripening of the seed severely taxes and 

 exhausts the powers of a plant. Some persons are accus- 

 tomed, after the bulbs have flowered, to cut off the tops, as 

 if to do the most mischief possible. The success of the next 

 year's flowering will depend very much on the care given 

 to your beds now. Many bulbs, as the tulip, form entirely 

 new bulbs ; and others, as the hyacinth, form the flower 

 bud for the next season. The leaf is the indispensable 

 means of doing this ; in it are perfected the juices which are 

 returned and deposited in the root. If the bed is left to be 

 choked with weeds, and your bulbs robbed of nutriment, or 

 if the soil is left compact, or if there is too much moisture, 

 or on the other hand, too little, the bud or bulb for the 

 next year will be weakened. A very deep bed, or a sandy 

 soil, will sufficiently prevent the effects of too much 

 water. 



The surface should be mellowed by the hand, and tho- 

 roughly weeded. The most careful cultivators raise their 

 bulbs every year. The careful at least every third year. 

 The careless let them alone and wonder, from year to year, 

 why their bulbs do so poorly " The moles must eat them, 

 or, worms probably injure them ;" but the worst worm in a 

 flower-garden is careless indolence. When bulbs are raised, 

 it should not be done until the leaves are dry. 



GLADIOLUS. We are surprised that this fine soldier-like 

 plant is not more extensively employed to adorn gardens, 

 yards, and lawns. A few varieties only are found in our 

 gardens. Great attention has been given in Europe, espe- 

 cially in Belgium, to raising new varieties, and many mag- 

 nificent kinds are now found in European collections which, 

 so far as we know, are not to be had for love or money iu 



