22 



BULLETIN 962, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



force them. Even in very cold regions where the plants will not 

 stand the winter climate, florists can still produce their own flower- 

 ing plants, for by this method of propagation the stocks are 



flowered in the green- 

 house during the 

 winter, having made 

 their development 

 out of doors during 

 the summer. 



BULBLETS. 



In the natural 

 course of growing 

 the plants, besides 

 the bulb or bulblet 

 planted, there is a 

 propagation along 

 the stem of from 1 

 to 30 bulblets which 

 form in the axils of 

 the leaf scales under 

 the ground. (Fig. 

 10. ) This is the most 

 common method of 

 propagation and is 

 ample for continu- 

 ing the stock and in- 

 creasing it from year 

 to year. These bulb- 

 lets are taken off the 

 stems at digging 

 time and planted to 

 continue the propa- 

 gation. Commercial 

 bulbs can be pro- 

 duced from the best 

 of these in one year. 

 They will not be so 

 large as some com- 

 mercial stocks now imported, but they will produce better. 



SCALES. 



The bulbs may be broken up into their individual scales, which can 

 be planted in the open ground 2 inches deep or in flats in the green- 



FiG. 10. — Two stems af the Easter lily, showing the differ- 

 ent character of reproduction. On the right seven bulb- 

 lets 2% to 31 inches have been produced ; on the left 

 are 20 bulblets 2 to 21 inches. The former is much the 

 more desirable. Photographed late in October, 1920. 



