BULBS 183 



are set unless winter is near enough at hand to 

 put a stop to such a display of ambition. In 

 short, plant the bulbs seven or eight weeks be- 

 fore frosty nights are likely, to put in thpir ap- 

 pearance." 



Many planters advise setting the bulbs from 

 two to four times their depth beneath the sur- 

 face but this must never be taken as a hard and 

 fast rule. Lilies, for instance, require a greater 

 depth, and in all cases the deeper the bulbs are 

 set the later the flowers in the spring and, pos- 

 sibly, on this account the better the results. 



WINTER PROTECTION OF BULBS 



In the case of the spring-flowering varieties, 

 winter protection should be afforded as soon as 

 the ground freezes slightly in the autumn. Do 

 not cover the beds with the idea in'mind of pre- 

 venting the light freezing, but rather with the 

 idea of overcoming ■ the heaving, of the soil due 

 to alternate freezing and thawing. Use leaves 

 — preferably those from hard-wooded trees, 

 for these mat down less than those from the 

 softer-wooded varieties — or straw, and apply 

 at least two or three inches of such litter. Hy- 

 acinths should be more thoroughly protected 

 than tulips and the latter should be provided 



