IN CALIFORNIA 121 



months. Many people see flowers of bulbous plants 

 in the spring and send to dealers to purchase the 

 bulbs, only to be disappointed, not understanding 

 that they must be planted in the fall. 



The soil for bulbs should be in good condition, 

 enriched with well-rotted stable manure, or, in ab- 

 sence of that, with some good commercial fertilizer. 

 The bulbs will bloom even in poor soil, and hya- 

 cinths and narcissus are frequently bloomed in 

 water, but in good soil there is better growth of 

 foliage, and this is favorable to finer flowers. 



Pot single bulbs of hyacinth in four-inch pots, or 

 three or four in a six-inch pot. Set the bulb so that 

 when the soil is filled in the top will be just at the 

 surface. Pot the narcissi in the same manner. 

 After the bulbs are potted, water and set away in 

 a cool, dark place for some weeks, where they will 

 make roots, before bringing them into the light and 

 warmth where they will rapidly develop blooming 

 spikes. Potted bulbs that have been set away in 

 the dark should be looked over every few days, and 

 any pots that need it watered, as the soil should not 

 be allowed to get quite dry. When the plants are 

 brought to the light and begin to grow vigorously 

 they may be watered freely. 



For growing in water they are usually put in a 

 shallow bowl and kept in place with pebbles packed 

 about them. A six-inch glass dish or bowl will 

 easily hold three bulbs. It is better to keep the base 

 of the bulb just above the surface rather than in it, 

 as in the latter case the bulbs will sometimes decay. 

 Narcissi are greedy for water, and this is one rea- 

 son this method is adopted, though more easily 

 grown in soil if abundance of water is supplied. 

 FERTILIZER FOR BULBS 



It is usually conceded that of all special fertilizers 



