THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK 
to make special study of the subsequent performance of these 
particular blind bulbs. For purposes of special study 35 bulbs 
of each of the two varieties were carefully dug from the ground. 
Each plant was taken separately, the old dead outer scales were 
removed, and the sister bulbs which could be readily separated 
were individually weighed, graded according to size and num- 
bered. In the autumn all were planted in beds in the experi- 
mental plots. All other bulbs of these varieties were treated in 
the manner of the previous year and the largest bulbs were re- 
planted in display beds. 
The relative performance of these two lots of bulbs in the fol- 
lowing spring (1917) is of special interest. Of the 35 “first” 
or largest bulbs of Rose Grisdelin planted in the experimental 
plots, 34 produced large flowers and one died ; of the 35 first bulbs 
of Cottage Maid, 28 produced fine blooms, 2 were blind, 1 pro- 
duced a scale leaf only, and 4 died. The performance of these 
bulbs from plants blind in the previous year was excellent. In 
contrast to this, however, scarcely a flower was produced by the 
other bulbs of these blind stocks which were planted in the dis- 
play beds. 
Furthermore, in 1917, blind tulips appeared among several va- 
rieties that had bloomed fully in 1916. Chrysolora, of largest 
selected bulbs of stock blooming perfectly in 1915 and 1916, came 
almost completely blind. In one bed of S00 plants about 50 per 
cent. were blind, but the plants that bloomed produced excellent 
flowers. In the conservatory court, in two beds having a total of 
1,100 bulbs, only one bulb produced a flower. The blindness was 
for the most part of an extreme type. In nearly all cases but 
one leaf developed, as shown in No. 3 of Plate 37. Occasionally 
two leaves were formed as is shown in No. 2. Of the variety 
Crimson King about two thirds of 700 bulbs were blind, but in 
these all the leaves developed. Of the variety La Triumphante, of 
some 2,000 plants from selected bulbs only 10 bloomed. Although 
blind plants were very numerous in those varieties other varieties 
which had been handled in quite the same manner bloomed excel- 
lently. La Reine and Grand Duc especially gave excellent and 
almost perfect records. 
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