8 



BULLETIN 28, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 





By this method the base of the mature or so-called mother bulb is 

 scooped out so as to expose the lower part of the scales just a little 



Fig. 7. — An average sample of hand-scooped and machine-scooped mother bulbs. 

 Hand-scooped bulbs on the left ; machine-scooped bulbs on the right. 





Fig. 8. — Interior of the frame propagating house built at the United States Bulb 

 Garden in the spring of 1012. The movable trays are in place ready to receive the 

 IhiIIis. The house is equipped with a hot-water heating apparatus, so that any 

 desired temperature can he maintained during the time the mother bulbs remain 

 there, which is from three to four months. The temperature maintained is from 

 75° to 00° I<\ day and night. 



above where they unite with the base of the bulb. (Figs. 3 to 6, in- 

 clusive.) Cutting the bulb in this way destroys the growing point 

 and flower bud, and all the latent strength of the bulb that otherwise 



