CHEAP GARDENING 111 



of them increase rapidly by means of offsets; and this 

 means of increase also is often neglected, so that the 

 bulbs become crowded and deteriorate. Bulbs that 

 are to be increased in this way should be dug up when 

 they die down, and the offsets separated from them. 

 The main bulbs and the offsets may then be either 

 dried off until the autumn or replanted at once. Some 

 bulbs — as, for instance, many kinds of Tulips — are 

 the better for being dried off every year; others, 

 such as English and Spanish Irises and many Nar- 

 cissi, like to be dried off occasionally. English gar- 

 deners, even those who do not care to spend much 

 on their gardens, are apt to be very wasteful with 

 bulbs, especially with Tulips used for spring bedding. 

 There is a common idea that they will not last in Eng- 

 Ush gardens. But if they are lifted when they die 

 down and then dried off, they wUl not only last well, 

 especially in light soUs, but will often increase rapidly. 

 The gardener who does not wish to spend much money 

 on his bulbs can yet have a fine show of them, at least 

 if his soil is fairly light, provided he is prepared to 

 take a little care of them and to buy very cheap kinds; 

 and luckily there is an abundance of cheap bulbs often 

 as beautiful as the dearest. You can give ten shillings 

 for a single Tulip bulb, but no Tulips are more beau- 

 tiful than Picotee, which costs six shillings a hundred, 

 or than Cottage Maid, which costs about four. You 

 can give fifty guineas sometimes for a single Daffodil 

 bulb; but Barri conspicuus, or Princeps, or John 

 Bain, or the Tenby Daffodil cost about five shillings 



