What to Do with the Old Bulbs— By Luke J. Doogue, c M h — 



DO NOT DIG UP AND THROW AWAY BULBS THAT WERE PLANTED LAST FALL, BUT CURE THEM FOR PLANT- 

 ING IN OCTOBER— THE PROPER WAY TO HANDLE THEM AND ACTUALLY INCREASE YOUR STOCK YEAR BY YEAR 



season, getting 

 But for ordi- 



EASY as it is to keep 

 the hardy Dutch 

 bulbs — that is, tulips, 

 hyacinths, and narcissus, 

 and especially the two first 

 named — from year to year, 

 most amateurs saddle them- 

 selves with unnecessary ex- 

 pense by digging them up 

 and throwing them away 

 after they have done flower- 

 ing, and then buying new 

 ones to plant out the fol- 

 lowing October. If you 

 want purely bedding ef- 

 fects, where every bulb 

 should be of uniform size 

 and quality and you are 

 only dealing with small 

 quantities, it will certainly 

 be best to buy afresh each 

 selected bulbs of first size, 

 nary border planting you can keep them 

 over from year to year and increase your 

 stock by a very simple method. 



The great secret of successful bulb culture 

 is to leave them alone after flowering and let 

 the foliage ripen fully. Do not be in a hurry 

 to disturb them until the foliage has become 

 distinctly yellowed and begins to shrivel. 

 When the foliage shows these conditions, 

 it is a sign that the bulb has ripened and 

 growth has ceased for the season ; it can now 

 be lifted from the ground without suffering 

 any damage. Indeed, by proper handling, it 

 will be improved. 



Some time, during the present month 

 generally, it will be safe to lift tulips and 

 hyacinth bulbs and spread them out in an 

 airy, shaded place to dry. Do not place 

 them in full sunshine, but outdoors under 

 the shade of trees or in the shelter of a build- 

 ing. Let them ripen or cure here. When the 

 foliage is entirely withered, curing will be 

 complete. They can then be stored away 

 in boxes in a cool place where there is plenty 



After drying, store the bulbs, loosely packed, in shallow boxes put in a shaded place 



of fresh air and free circulation. Every- 

 thing depends on keeping them properly 

 now. In a damp, badly ventilated place 

 they will usually rot. In an overheated, 

 excessively dry place, such as a furnace 

 room, they will be completely shriveled. 

 Keep them in a normal temperature and 

 leave them until the fall. 



In September, when garden work outdoors 

 has generally ceased, will be time to attend 

 to the bulbs. They can then be cleaned. 

 The old stems will be perfectly dry and will 

 crumble to dust as the bulbs are rubbed 

 through the fingers. Clean them thor- 

 oughly and assort them into sizes, removing 

 any little offsets, which may be treated 

 separately by growing on for flowering size 

 later. The cleaned, selected bulbs can be 

 replanted in exactly the same way as the new 

 stock imported from Holland. The small 

 offsets should be planted in rows and treated 

 exactly like the larger bulbs, and in time they 

 will attain flowering size. Narcissus bulbs 

 are best left alone for three or four years, and 

 then, when they are disturbed, should be 

 lifted in August and replanted as soon as 



possible. They can "be 

 held out longer, but a great 

 deal in vigor is gained by 

 early planting. 



Bulbs that are planted in 

 the lawn can be lifted in 

 exactly the same way for 

 replanting, if it is thought 

 that the foliage will become 

 unsightly during the 

 summer, or they may be 

 allowed to remain where 

 they are, provided the lawn 

 is not cut over so that the 

 foliage is removed before 

 there are signs of ripening. 

 It is perfectly practical, if 

 the room is wanted earlier, 

 to lift the bulbs soon after 

 flowering, heeling them in 

 lightly to ripen in a shaded place in the gar- 

 den. The one principle in bulb-growing and 

 the only thing to be remembered is that the 

 bulb cannot produce flowers next year unless 

 it is allowed to grow naturally this season and 

 mature its full growth before any attempt is 

 made to dry it off and store it. 



Forced bulbs that have been taken out 

 from pots or flats and put into the garden 

 border after flowering can be depended upon 

 to recover if left alone, and the second year 

 from forcing can be handled in exactly the 

 same way as the other bulbs. 



For storing, the best arrangement is to have 

 the bulbs in shallow boxes or flats about 

 two inches deep, with plenty of ventilation 

 at the bottom, the boxes themselves being 

 piled one on top of the other, but separated 

 by supporting pieces so that the air can 

 circulate freely at all times. In sorting out 

 the bulbs for replanting, remember that the 

 best bulbs are the heaviest in comparison to 

 their size — not necessarily the largest. 

 A healthy bulb can be recognized very 

 quickly by the dry, clean, glowing appear- 

 ance of the outer skin. 



Look out for any diseased bulb and When drying is complete, sort bulbs to sizes and clean off all dirt and Put away each variety separately in 

 destroy it rubbish and any little offsets an ordinary temperature 



352 



