OCTOBER: SECOND WEEK 265 



the bulbs is Kkely to cause injury from rotting or disease. 

 If possible it is always well to plant in soil in which bulbs, 

 particularly those of the same kind, have not been grown 

 recently. 



Perfect Drainage is Essential 



But no matter how rich and otherwise good the soil may 

 be, perfect drainage is essential. There is little danger of 

 being overthorough in this matter, because in the fall, when 

 the root system is being developed, and in the spring, when 

 the flowers are being produced, there is likely to be abun- 

 dant rainfall. Bulbs can often be used successfully where 

 other flowers would fail on account of midsummer droughts. 

 In heavy soil, which naturally holds a great deal of water in 

 fall or spring, the bed should either be raised a foot or so 

 above the general level, with sod edges, or drained by put- 

 ting a layer of coal ashes or other coarse material, six inches 

 or so in depth, a foot below the surface. 



The beds should be well rounded up and made several 

 weeks before planting. The soil will usually settle two or 

 three inches, but it should be, after setthng, high enough 

 so that no surface water can collect on it from winter rain 

 or melting snow when the ground is frozen. 



All these bulbs should be planted in the fall in order to 

 get a good root growth before freezing weather. The 

 narcissuses, daffodils and Jonquils should be planted three 

 to four inches deep to the tops of the bulbs, and put in as 

 soon as received. 



Hyacinths should be put in three to five inches deep, 

 in sandy soil, and it is better to use no manure in the beds. 

 They should be planted about the time the maple leaves 

 are beginning to change color. 



The Darwin and other large late tulips should be put 

 four to six inches deep, and the early flowering sorts three 

 to five inches deep. The tuHps may be left until the last 

 to be planted — any time within two or three weeks after 

 the leaves faU, or five or six weeks before hard freezing 

 weather. 



