PRODUCTION OF TULIP BULBS. 13 



EARLY MATURITY AFFECTING THE BLOSSOMING SEASON. 



It is very important for the grower to realize that the tulip bulb is 

 not inactive during the so-called dormant period, when the bulbs are 

 out of the groimd. (Compare the bulbs in PI. VII, Fig. 3.) Pro- 

 found changes take place in the bulbs on the shelves, which though 

 invisible, are no less important than the development of leaf stem 

 and roots the next season. Upon these changes largely depends the 

 time of flowering the next season. Consequently, with a varying 

 dormant season there will be a corresponding variation in the next 

 flowering season. But with given conditions during dormancy, the 

 earlier the bulbs mature the earlier they will flower the next season. 

 Besides, under our Puget Sound conditions, bulbs dug and kept on 

 the shelves less than two months flower earlier than those left undug 



It will readily be seen that stocks which mature early will blossom 

 earlier the next season than those which mature later. A difference 

 of a few degrees of temperature for two months during storage, 

 however, will greatly advance the development of the flower spike 

 and consequently cause the stocks to blossom earlier. This principle 

 forms the basis of the early flowering of the Dutch Prepared bulbs 

 which have been put on the market in recent years. 



Some experiences with early-maturing stocks are to the point. 

 Several varieties of single early tulips were salvaged from the beds 

 on the grounds of the Department of Agriculture in April, 1919. 

 They were heeled in to ripen, dug, and dried by June 15 in the climate 

 of Washington, D. C. They were then shipped to Belluigham, 

 Wash., and planted with the other stocks of the same varieties in 

 August. The next spring these all flowered from a week to 10 days 

 ahead of the home-grown Bellingham stocks. Indeed, Keizerkroon 

 flowered so early that it was 10 days after it was in full flower before 

 the petals could spread because of low temperatures. This is an 

 extreme case, but illustrates well the effect on the next season's 

 blossoming of early maturity coupled with high temperature at the 

 time of curing. 



In the purchase of stocks the tulip grower will find a great variation 

 with the locality in which the stocks are grown, as well as with the 

 condition under which they are handled during the so-called dormant 

 period. 



SALE OF FLOWERS. 



The sale of flowers has little place in connection with tulip-bulb 

 production. The production of flowers and of bulbs for sale are two 

 separate ventures and are largely incompatible. 



For the flowers to be of value they must have long stems. To 

 secure these in any tulip requires the removal of leafage, which is 

 not compatible with proper bulb production. 



