The Best Bulb for Winter Forcing —By C. W. Patterson, ¥: 
BY ALL MEANS GROW TULIPS THIS WINTER —THEY HAVE THE GREATEST RANGE OF BRIGHT COLORS AND 
A VARIETY OF FORMS—HOW TO ENSURE LONG STEMS AND LARGE FLOWERS IN SUCCESSION TILL SPRING 
5 ALL the bulbs for . present planting 
to give flowers during winter, the 
tulips are by far the best. They have a 
greater diversity of bright colors than any 
other winter flower, and they have all the 
important essentials of a good cut flower, 
being good shippers and excellent keepers. 
Any one with any sort of a greenhouse or 
light window can force tulips. They require 
very little space, which is important, as it 
increases the possibilities of the output of 
a small greenhouse, since other crops such 
as vegetables can be grown; and in this 
way a small greenhouse can be made to 
serve a double purpose. But still more 
Flat of tulip bulbs showing how the drainage is 
provided for 
important to the beginner is the fact that 
they force very easily and the veriest amateur 
can handle them with impunity. The 
flower is in the bulb, and our task is 
merely to make it develop perfectly. 
Although you can to some degree increase 
the size of the flower by high cultiva- 
tion it may be accepted as a working rule 
that the flower usually corresponds to the 
size of the bulb. If you buy a small bulb 
you will have small flowers. Get good hard 
ones that are heavy for their size and clean 
looking : never buy tulips that have rusty 
spots on the skin, for that indicates a disease 
that will surely affect the flowers; buy early: 
don’t wait until every one else has picked 
over the stock and you get a Io per cent. 
reduction. 
Either pots or boxes can be used; and 
there is also a special bulb pan which is 
very satisfactory, when the plants are wanted 
Make fiats 2x1 ft. to hold forty bulbs. Note the 
ample drainage space 
as pot plants for decorative work. When 
growing them for cut flowers, boxes are 
cheaper and answer the purpose better 
than pots or pans as they economize space 
and are more easily handled. A good box 
can be made from rough spruce, 5 x¥% 
in. Make it 2x1 ft., and when putting 
in the bottom leave a space of about three- 
fourths of an inch between the pieces put on 
crosswise; five boards will do for this. 
Eleven linear feet will make one such box, 
costing but a few cents. 
The best kind of soil is one that was 
prepared in spring and let stand all summer, 
turning the heap several times so that the 
ingredients became thoroughly incorporated. 
A good mixture is made thus: to every three 
barrows of soil (get soil that drains well, 
not a stiff clayey soil) add one of well rotted 
farm yard manure and three shovelfuls of 
bone meal. Put the heap up in an oblong 
stack packing it firmly as you build it up. 
If you have not something of this sort, use 
the best soil available. 
Drainage of some kind must be provided 
— that is one of the secrets of success. A 
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Bulbs planted and all ready to be placed outside. 
The covering of the bulbs has been removed for 
better photographing 
depth of about three-fourths inch of broken 
flower pots, sifted cinders, clam shells or 
anything that is rough enough to allow the 
free passage of water will do. Then place 
a little moss or cocoanut fibre over the 
drainage to keep the soil from washing 
through; put about one inch of soil over 
this and place the bulbs on this layer of soil. 
Each bulb should have about six or seven 
square inches of space, so forty or forty-five 
bulbs can be accommodated in the box, 
according to the variety. The beginner 
who does not know the various varieties, 
had better plant only forty to the box. 
After placing the bulbs press them down 
firmly in the soil, then fill up the box with 
soil and firm gently with your fingers, until 
just firm enough for the water to drain off 
nicely. Do not get the soil packed hard. 
The planted boxes being all ready they 
may be stood outdoors in a shaded place to 
make roots. Some people put the boxes into 
coldframes, others place them on the ground 
and cover them with dirt or ashes. The 
best method is to bury them in a trench, 
114 
about nine inches deep. If the location 
is low, and there is some accumulation of 
surface water, place a few inches of cinders 
in the bottom of the trench to insure drainage. 
The bulbs will now. require no further atten- 
tion until cold weather sets in. After the 
ground freezes on top, place a heavy mulch of 
stable manure, litter, or leaves over the 
bulbs; this is not to protect the bulbs, but 
to prevent their being frozen solid, as they 
are then very difficult to get out. 
Tulips can be forced early after a little 
experience, but the beginner had better be 
patient and wait until there is absolutely 
no chance of a failure. A safe date for a 
beginner to start forcing is after December 
r5th, but January rst is better still. Bring 
in a few boxes at a time according to 
requirements. 
A temperature of 55 degrees is best for the 
forcing, but a few degrees deviation won’t 
matter. A temperature of 50 degrees is 
best for foliage, but gives very short stemmed 
flowers; 55 degrees is best for flowers; 60 
degrees gives the best stem, but at this heat 
the foliage will be soft and flabby. 
When the boxes or pots containing the 
bulbs are first brought in they should be 
placed under the bench and shaded with 
a curtain of some kind to exclude the 
light, which will also increase the length 
of the stem. But don’t allow the stem 
to draw up too much; just as soon as 
the small buds show, bring the box into full 
air and light to finish up. 
In watering remember that bulbs will 
take up a liberal supply at all times when 
forcing but during the rooting period keep 
Bulbs in position before the soil is filled in. 
They are placed on a shallow layer of soil over the 
drainage and pressed down firmly 
them dry, as otherwise they are subject to 
rot. As soon as they are well rooted never 
let them suffer for water. After the flowers 
are developed the entire box can be placed 
in a cool dark cellar or some like place where 
if given water occasionally the flowers will 
keep in perfect condition for several weeks. 
The idea that tulips must be cut as soon 
as open is erroneous. 
Tulips can also be grown in glasses of 
water the same as other bulbs; special 
glasses for the purpose can be bought at 
the seed stores and as they are not expensive 
I advise getting them. Fill the glass with 
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