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



over whicti the bulbs roll until they come to openings large enough to 

 pass through. 



In the Netherlands, various other forms of sizers are employed. 

 The ^'YUnder" is probably the most widely used machine. It is 

 essentially an oscillating plane made up of sections of rawhide 

 perforated in accordance with the conventional methods of sizing 

 bulbs. 



Another machine is a hexagonal revolving drum made up of 

 sections, each of which separates one size of bulb. It is similar in 

 principle to the common gravel screen used in this country. 



Calipers. — These instruments are used to measure individual) 

 bulbs. One form consists of a thin piece of veneered wood in which i 

 are bored holes varying usually from 3 to 23 centimeters in circum- 

 ference. (PL X, Fig. 1.) A more convenient form is put up in five! 

 veneered strips about 3^ by 12 inches, superimposed upon each other; 

 and fastened together so as to open Hke a fan. (PI. X, Fig. 2.) 



Blowers. — The blower used in this work is a grain fanning nuU, 

 with the wind, sieves, and padding so adjusted as to accommodate 

 the handling of planting stock of bulbs. This winnows out the dry 

 scales and light material from a mass of small bulbs. (See p. 22.) 



Lug boxes. — The lug boxes used need not be essentially different 

 from the fruit lug box, and they are used in the same way in hauling 

 bulbs from the field at harvest time and back to the field again at 

 planting time. These should, of course, be as light as consistentj 

 with the necessary strength. 



Spud. — A good spud is an essential tool for roguing, i. e., taking^ 

 out stray bulbs from the beds at blossoming time, when they can be 

 most easily detected. It can be made with a strong fork handle 

 30 inches long, attached to a steel blade 2 inches wide and 8 inches 

 long with a short curved shank inserted into the handle through an 

 ordinary ferrule. This has been found the most serviceable tool for 

 removing a bulb from a thick planting with as little disturbance as 

 possible of neighboring bulbs. 



Trowel. — The common garden trowel used in this country is poorlyi 



adapted for use among bulbs. A tool of this kind with a flat blade 



is much more serviceable. In very light soil such a tool can be used 



for digging. 



THE DUTY OF LABOR. 



In any consideration of the duty of labor the chmatic factor plays 

 a very important part. Tulip-bulb production can be conductec 

 best in a region of relatively low, uniform average temperatures, anc 

 this is where labor is most efiicient. If the digging and planting o: 

 the bulbs must be done in very hot weather, labor efficiency is ver} 

 much reduced. On Puget Sound the weather conditions are ideal 



