THE BEST BEDDING PLANTS 197 



to include all of those plants in the stock you carry as they don't 

 differ much as regards treatment during the Spring months. 



BULBS 



No matter how large or small your establishment, how good or poor 

 your facilities for growing cut flowers, so-called Dutch bulb stock can 

 always be made a profitable crop for those who retail what they grow. 

 "THE florist who can manage to have a supply of French-grown 

 * Narcissi and Roman Hyacinths in flower from early December 

 on, followed by English and HoUand stock, home-grown Freesias, Japan 

 Lihes and Gahfornia or Florida Gallas, can do business every day 

 without much else. While actually not all of these grow from 

 bulbs, the florist usuaUy caUs them such. The Dutch bulb stock 

 to which some of the best belong is all grown from bulbs, such as 

 Narcissi, Tulips and Hyacinths. 



We no sooner get through with the last Ghrysanthemums than 

 our patrons begin to ask if we haven't some Spring flowers ; and they 

 won't grow tired of them for the next six months to come. 



Upon What Bulb Success Depends 



With aU the many varieties on hand and their easy culture, 

 there isn't any good reason why even the smaU florist shouldn't 

 make it a point to always have a supply on hand during the Winter 

 months. The foUowing are the main requirements if one would be 

 successful: Plant as early as you can in order to have well-rooted 

 plants before you bring them into heat for forcing. If you have no 

 bulb ceUar, bring the flats, pots and pans in which you planted 

 the bulbs, in where you can cover them with 10 or 12 in. of sofl. 

 After they have been thoroughly watered put each variety by itself 

 and provide a heavy wooden stake with the name of the variety and 

 the number of bulbs (these stakes should be long enough so that 

 they can be seen above the soil) and an additionad heavy layer of 

 strawy manure which should be placed on top of the soil as soon as 

 Winter sets in. Examine the soil every once in awhile, for it should 

 be kept moist at all times and during a dry FaU has to be watered. 

 It is always weU to place boards to set the flats or pans on, which 

 will give you a clean bottom when bringing them in later on. 



To attempt to force either Hyacinths, Tulips or Narcissi without 

 their being thoroughly pot- or root-bound wiU always result in 

 failure. For early forcing a dark place and high temperature are 

 needed in order to obtain flowers with reasonably long stems; this 

 condition is usually provided by using space below some bench 

 darkened with boards, heavy paper or bags — the darker the better— 

 and a steady heat of from 70 to 80 deg. Overhead heat is to be pre- 



