GATHERING THE FLOWERS 45 



the bulb a little too early no real harm is done ; the 

 flower may be a little smaller the following year, but 

 the bulb will be healthy; but if you are too late the 

 consequences may be disastrous. 



Only experience and experiment can teach how soon 

 fresh root growth is to be expected in any particular 

 variety. But the Poeticus varieties, Maximus and Odorus 

 require to be lifted before they show any sign of fading 

 foliage. For most of the other sorts the safe rule is 

 " as soon as possible after the jading of the leaves has decidedly 

 set in" — to be still more definite — as soon as the upper 

 third part of the leaves has turned yellow. 



When the bulbs are lifted the offsets of the commoner 

 sorts may generally be separated by carefully pulling 

 apart ; but this is too rough-and-ready a plan for 

 dividing the less forward offsets of the more valuable 

 kinds. In the case of these, any small portion of the 

 base which still connects the offsets with the mother 

 bulb should be cut through with a sharp knife, and it 

 is better not to separate any bulbs where there is danger 

 of cutting any part of the bulb except the base. 



If the sun is shining when the bulbs are being lifted 

 they should be placed at once in shade, as the sudden 

 change from the cooler soil into hot sunshine is calculated 

 to act injuriously upon them. There are differences of 

 practice here, but I find the opinion of several ex- 

 perienced growers to coincide with my own. The 

 objection of increased trouble does not justify careless- 

 ness in this matter if, as I believe, ultimate injury may 

 result from it. 



The bulbs, after being lifted, should be spread out to 

 dry in some cool airy place ; and in storing them away 

 after drying until replanting begins, it is better to keep 

 them spread out in shallow trays, not heaped up one 

 upon another. Trouble and labour expended on such 

 details will bring their own reward in securing the 

 general excellence of the stock. 



