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A good succession — three lots of Fre"esia in this greenhouse in proper relationship 



Outdoors the hardy bulbs are excellent for naturalizing in wide stretches or in the shrubbery 



Bulbs for Twelve Months, Indoors and Outside 



W. C. McCOLLOM 



AN"\' one ought to be able to get flowers 



f\ from bulbs, because the flower is al- 



r %, ready inside the bulb when received 



and the process of development is so 



simple as to be almost mechanical. 



As a class, bulbs will give great returns for 

 the labor invested. The more common kinds 

 will stand neglect and abuse with practically 

 little, if any, result on their flowering. This, 

 of course, does not constitute a reasonable ex- 

 cuse for neglecting them entirely, as they are 

 very responsive to good treatment and indeed 

 this elasticity in their culture makes them 

 "every man's flower." Even without a green- 

 house fresh flowers can be had — from bulbs — 

 all through winter. For early flowers in the 

 formal garden, where can you find even an 

 acceptable substitute: For naturalization 

 they excel. A strip of woods or a meadow bog 

 can be made into a veritable fairyland, and 

 what would a rockery be without its little 

 Scillas and Grape Hyacinths. 



Though bulbs are generally looked upon as 

 spring flowers (it is true that the majority of 

 those more commonly used, do flower in 

 spring), there are others that flower during the 

 summer and fall and, by proper selection, it is 

 possible to have bulbs which flower every 

 month, from the little Snowdrop in March, 

 until September when the Fall Crocus 

 (Colchicum) sends up its weird attractive 

 flowers. 



' Don't buy cheap bulbs." This is not given 

 as a reprimand, but rather as ad- 

 vice. Bear in mind, that prac- 

 tically all individuals of a given 

 variety look very much alike. 

 Yet some might be dear at one 

 cent each, others cheap at five 



fa 



• ••: 



At this writing there seems to be a 

 reasonable prospect of an adequate sup- 

 ply of Dutch bulbs reaching America 

 for planting this fall. 



It has been officially stated that an 

 agreement has been entered by all 

 authorities concerned covering the ne- 

 cessities of the case. 



It may probablv be assumed, how- 

 ever, that the supply will be limited 

 and the necessity of early reservations 

 is apparent, for "first come first served." 



It is also reported that a small supply 

 of domestic grown bulbs will be avail- 

 able, but this source is not as yet de- 

 veloped sufficiently to offset the foreign 

 conditions to any appreciable degree; 

 and for some years to come, even under 

 the best of circumstances, the domestic 

 industry must of necessity be small. 



Before covering up to get root growth the bulbs are 

 watered. Each lot is carefully labeled 



cents each. These bulbs have been carefully 

 selected by experienced men in the field where 

 they are collected and sorted according to 

 their value, and I am always willing to accept 

 these experts' appraisal of value over my own 

 judgment. I therefore make a practice of 

 buying the best, which (I must confess, how- 

 ever) is judged on a price basis by going to a 

 responsible concern. It is safe to shop on 

 this method. 



" Buy early, plant early," is another bit of 

 advice that has been shouted so long and loud 

 that it seems to be almost over-familiar, like 

 the customary' "Vote early" preelection slo- 

 gan of the newspapers. But every day counts. 

 Remember that bulbs have a limited time in 

 which to make roots to sustain them over the 

 winter and the better the root system devel- 

 oped before the advent of exceeding cold, the 

 better the results when flowering time arrives. 



1~~\0 NOT imagine for a moment that 

 -"-^ by delaying your planting you are 

 saving money because bulbs are getting 

 cheaper. True, prices will be lower later on 

 not because time is getting shorter, but simply 

 because every selection from stock means that 

 the better bulbs are taken out, until by the 

 time the very cheap offers are made only the 

 culls are left. 



Like most other things, bulbs delight in 

 good treatment. Good wholesome growing 

 conditions; good things to eat, and plenty to 

 drink. These given and good results are 

 certain. In eatables they prefer well-rotted 

 manure, spaded into the ground to a depth of 



43 



about twelve inches but, lacking this, de- 

 cayed vegetation or fertilizer may be used. 

 They are water lovers and some substance 

 which is retentive of moisture will be most 

 satisfactory. Manure, therefore, serves a 

 double purpose; it catches and stores the mois- 

 ture, subject to the call of the plant and, de- 

 composing slowly, releases foods in about the 

 proportion that the plants assimilate it. 



The general rule for planting bulbs is to 

 plant the bottom of the bulb about four times 

 the depth of the bulb below the surface. In 

 case of any divergence from this rule, I prefer 

 deeper rather than shallower planting, as 

 strong bulbs are sure to come through and the 

 weak ones are a failure even under favorable 

 conditions. Deep planting also encourages 

 deep rooting. 



Planting for the Greatest Display 



U*ORMAL plantings offer a varied field of 

 A the most exacting nature. Of course 

 bulbs selected for this purpose must all flower 

 at one time in order to get the desired effect. 

 It is also essential that all the varieties be in a 

 combination of uniform height. Different 

 varieties of the same type may be used to give 

 some color scheme but do not mix Tulips and 

 Narcissi, for instance. Beds for formal 

 planting needs be prepared thoroughly, of an 

 even texture to assure identic conditions. The 

 customary method is to spade or fork under 

 some manure, leaving the surface smooth and 

 evenly raked. Then the 

 bulbs are placed at uni- 

 form distances, starting 

 in the centre, using a 



Lifting from the outdoor trench ready to be taken inside 

 for "forcing" into bloom 



