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above period in fummcr, ftionld be cliiefly planted, wliore 

 pradlicable, again in the foUouiiip; autumn, about Oclober or 

 November, as tliey flower mucii ftrongcr than when kept 

 out of the ground till the fpring fcafon. 



Tlic Rev. Mr. Marfliali, in liis work on gardening, how- 

 ever, direrts that autumn flowering bulbs, when their leaves 

 are decayed, fliould be taken up in May, and that none of 

 the kinds remain too long without bcnig taken up, as they 

 are liable to be cramped and confined in their growth, and 

 ofcourfe decline in their beauty. 



It is recommended as the beft praif^ice with flowering 

 bulbs, to plant the fpring kinds in the beginning of the au- 

 tumn, as in the latter end of Stptember, or beginning of 

 the following month ; and tliofe of the fummer flowering 

 forts in OAobcr, or the fuccetding month ; and thofe of 

 the autumn blow in the latter part of July, or in the follow- 

 ing month ; too early and too late planting being equally to 

 be avoidt^d, as when put in too foon, they are hable to be im- 

 paired by being too forward when the winter and early 

 fpring proves fevere, and wh.en delayed too long they are apt 

 previoufly to exhauft thenifeives by forming new root fibres. 



Bulbous roots of the laminated kinds,, fuch as lilies, 

 flioufd not be kept out of the foil longer than fix or eight 

 weeks ; the fummer flowering forts being ftt at feparate 

 periods in the autumn, and in the beginning of the year be- 

 fore the latter end of February, fo as to produce a proper 

 fucccfTion of flowers. 



With others of the fame nat-nre, this method is alfo com- 

 mon, but they fliould have dry iandy foils in order to Hand 

 the winter without rotting, where there happens to be much 

 wet, fucceeded by fevere trolls. In thele cafes, the protec- 

 tion of mats and the haulm of peas may often be found ufe- 

 ful. When bulbous roots have remained in the ground 

 longer tlian the proper period, fo as to have fl:ruck out new 

 roots, they fliould always be removed with bulbs of earth, 

 as where this is not attended to, they grow weak. On this 

 account, the exaft period for removal fliould be attended to 

 with great care. 



ITie offsets of bidbous roots (hould in general be put into 

 the ground a ccnfiderable time before the periods of planting 

 out the full fizcd roots : thofe from laminated bulbs nioftly 

 requiring to be immediately planted. 



The foil moll adapted to the growth of bulbous roots, in 

 genera], is that of a fandy loam where there is no ilagna- 

 tion of moillure below ; many forts of thefe roots are not 

 however very difficult in this refpeft, provided there be not 

 an over proportion of moillure. The ground for them (hould 

 be prepared by digging it to the depth of fix, eight, or ten 

 inches, or more, reducing it well in the operation. After this 

 has been done, it fliould remain a week or ten days before 

 they are put in to become perfeftly fettled. 



In regard to the difpofal of thefe roots in planting, it is 

 generally for the more large and curious forts in beds a little 

 rounded, of three or four feet in width according to circum- 

 llanccs; or in patches in the common borders, for the fmaller 

 kinds, in clufters of three, four, or five together, according 

 to their growth. With the large forts, fuch as the white 

 orange lilies, crown imperial, &c. one in a place is fuffi- 

 cient. The roots of fancy flowering bulbs when planted in 

 beds, are ufually put in rows, eight or more inches apart, 

 and from five to leven inches dillant, in proportion to their 

 growth. Some prefer lefs room ; but where a (Irong blow 

 is required, thefe diftances are not too great. Hyacinths 

 fhould in general have the fpace of feven or eight inches, 

 and tulips eight or nine, though it is often the practice to 

 allow the former not more than five or fix inches. The 

 depths of fitting roots of the bulbous kinds, are, in general, 



according to their fi/.cs or growths, as three or four inchei 

 from their upper parts. ]?ut fomc forts, as the crown im- 

 perial, and crocus, will rife from a confiderablc depth, as 

 fix inches or more, and others from flilt greater, which has 

 induced fomc perfons to plant them to f'.ich depths as are 

 fiiPieient to prevent their being injured by digging over the 

 furface ground; but in thefe cafes, ihcy mull be liable to 

 rot in wet feafon;. 



Different methods are employed in planting bulboui 

 roots, as thofe of putting them in by the dibble, and in 

 drills drav.n by a hoe. The latter is in general to be pre- 

 ferred, as thty arc apt to lie hollow in dibbling, while bj 

 placing them in a drill, they may be gently prcffcd into the 

 foil, and be perfcftly covered up. When they are fet in 

 the bed;;, the bell method is to draw off the mould to a fuf- 

 ficient depth to one fide, leaving the furface perfcftly level, 

 watering it a little in dry fealons, and then forming it into 

 proper fquares, placing a bulb in the middle of each, cover- 

 ing them with the mould drawn off, fo as to leave thi. bulb* 

 in an upiight pofition. After the bulbs have bctn put into 

 earth, if the weather continue very dry, a little water 

 fliould be fprinkled over the beds or other places, to forward 

 their vegetation, and prevent their rotting. Some protec- 

 tion is neceffary in raifing the more curious forts of thefe 

 roots, as before they appear during the winter, the beds 

 fhould be fliehered from too much wet, in order to guard 

 againll the eftlds of froll. And when they firft; prefent 

 thenilelves above the ground, they fl'.ould have the protec- 

 tion of an awning of cloth, mats, or other contrivances, in 

 the nights when the weather is fevere ; but they fliould not 

 remain on in the day time, when it is tolerable. Some fort 

 of covering of the fame fort is alfo neceffary when they are 

 in blow to fliield them from the fun and rain, and continue 

 them much longer in a perfeft Hate of flowering. 



There is a method of getting fpring flowering bulbs for- 

 ward, which is by fetting them in pots or glaffcs for the 

 purpofe, in warm rooms, or in moderate hot beds, as by 

 thele means, they flower in winter. The hyacinth and nar- 

 ciffus, as well as ieveral others, may be managed in this way 

 with facility. Thefe fliould be placed in pots of light d:y 

 fandy earth in autumn, as about the beginning of OSobcr, 

 water being cccafionally given. They may likewife be put 

 into glaffes at the fame period, and occafionally every three 

 or four weeks, till the latter end of February, in order to 

 have them flower in fucccffion. In this method the bottom 

 of the bulbs (hould be jull immerged in the water, which 

 fliould be renewed once a week, or oftencr, fo as to keep it 

 conllantly up to the bottom of the bulbs. Soft water is the 

 befl; for this pnrpofe. The blow isfaid, by Mr. Marfliali, to 

 be conliderably llrengthencd, by diflolving a portion ofnitre> 

 about the fize of a pta, in the water each time it is changed.- 



Befides the raifing of flowers from root-bulbs in thefe 

 modes there are fome produced from little bulbs, forced oa 

 the fides of the top parts of the fttms, as in the bulbiferous 

 lily. Thefe fliould be taken off about Augull, and after 

 being dried a little in the fun, planted out in rows in the 

 nurfeiy in the fame manner as the offsets. 



By thefe means the various bulbous-rooted plants may be 

 continued ; but, in order to produce new varieties, recourfe 

 mull be had to feed, which (hould be carefully faved, when 

 fully ripened, from the beft and moft curious flowets ; and 

 which, after having been hardened a little in the fun, 

 (houlJ be fown in boxes of light rich earth, fetting them in 

 (hekered funny fituations, but not under covers. This is 

 ufually done about the latter end of Auguft, or beginning of 

 the following month, the feeds of hyacinths, tulips, and other 

 large forts, being covered to the depth of nearly an inch. A 



little 



