4 BULLETIN 1082, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



first stakes, even to laying out the first corners with a square, for 

 future operations are facilitated by accuracy in these initial prep- 

 arations. 



When the corners of the beds have been marked by stakes, the 

 beds are marked off. This is done by first stretching a taut line on 

 each side of the bed, guided by the previously driven stakes. Two 

 men usually work at this job and open up a number of beds in ad- 

 vance of planting. Each man handles one end of the two lines. 

 When they have been fastened, one man marks one and the other the 

 other side of the bed, being guided by the taut line (see right of PL 

 VI, Fig. 2) . They drive the spade into the ground vertically 2 to 3 

 inches and pull the dirt toward the center of the bed with a sort of 

 scraping motion. When each has marked his side, they are at oppo- 

 site sides of the plat ready to take up the lines and transfer them to 

 the next bed and continue the work in this way to the end of the 

 plat. 



The width of the plat is the length of the bulb bed. The length of 

 the bed is arranged purely as a matter of convenience in handling the 

 bulbs in digging and planting. 



PLANTING TULIPS. 



The process of setting the bulbs in the ground is not essentially 

 different for a great variety of bulbs. After the beds are marked off 

 preparation for planting begins. All the soil to a depth of about 4 

 inches is thrown out of the first bed. The bottom is raked to a uni- 

 form level and fined with a garden rake. A roller marker is next run 

 over the bed thus prepared. (PI. VI, Fig. 1.) As soon as a space of 

 4 or 5 feet in the bed has been set with bulbs, the man with the 

 shovel begins to open up the second bed by taking out the soil to a 

 depth of about 4 inches, as before, and using it to cover the bulbs in 

 the first bed; in other words, the soil taken out in opening a bed is 

 used to cover the bulbs in the previous bed all the way across the plat. 

 With experienced bulb men the marker is unnecessary, for they are 

 able to set the bulbs in the required geometrical design without 

 guidance. 



HOW THE BULBS ARE SET. 



The method of setting the bulbs varies with the different sizes. 

 With tuhp bulbs above 9 centimeters in circumference or with those 

 sizes which are set upright, it is considered advantageous to strew 

 them along the bed from the containers in which they are brought 

 to the field. One man on each side of the bed on his knees sets the 

 bulbs, usually 9 or 11 to a 3-foot row. When planting small 

 sizes, indeed when planting all sizes below about 8 centimeters 

 or those not set upright, it is advantageous to have small boxes a 

 foot square and about 3 inches deep to hold the bulbs, which are 



