October, 1908 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



39i 



bulbous plants which 

 might be mentioned are 

 freesias and lachenalias, 

 both species flourishing 

 well with the most ordi- 

 nary treatment. 



As has been hinted, 

 it is desirable that bulbs 

 for indoor flowering 

 should be planted in 

 good time. The bulbs 

 mostly come to hand 

 during the early part of 

 September, and for 

 those kinds, such as the 

 Roman hyacinths and 

 Van Thol tulips, which 

 are the first to flower, it 

 will not be too soon if 

 they are placed in the 

 soil at onee. Opinion is 



very much divided as to the best receptacles for planting 

 bulbs in, but there is nothing better than pots or shallow 

 wooden boxes. It is a very simple matter to transfer the 

 specimens from their growing place to any kind of fancy 

 vase when they have nearly reached their maturity. There 

 is no necessity to use soil in the planting of the bulbs, and by 

 far the cleanest substance to employ is the brown cocoa fiber. 

 Each bulb should be pressed firmly into position, care being 

 taken that the pots or boxes are not overcrowded. It may 

 here be noted that it is just as well not to plant all the bulbs 

 at the same time, but to spread the business over a month or 

 so. In this way it will be possible to arrange for a succession 

 of bulbous plants in their full beauty throughout the whole 

 winter. 



As soon as the bulbs are planted they should be removed 

 to a perfectly dark place, such as a dry cupboard where the 

 temperature is even. A better plan than this, however, is to 

 place the receptacles containing the bulbs in an old frame in 

 the open, standing the boxes on the level bottom. Then 



sure that the bulbs are 

 thoroughly well rooted 

 before they are encour- 

 a g e d to make any 

 amount of top growth. 

 It is just in this direc- 

 tion where so many peo- 

 ple fail to obtain satis- 

 factory results from 

 their indoor bulb gar- 

 den, by not putting the 

 specimens in darkness 

 in the first instance. 

 The same point can not 

 be too strongly empha- 

 sized in the case of hya- 

 cinth bulbs grown in 

 glasses containing plain 

 water. Most folk when 

 they have filled the 

 vases and put the bulbs 

 in place speedily put them in front of a window where they 

 will experience the full effects of the light. The outcome of 

 this treatment is that the flowers are badly stunted just be- 

 cause the bulbs have not had the opportunity of making a 

 proper amount of root growth as they would in a natural 

 state. 



Some of the narcissi are charming subjects for cultivating 

 in pebbles. For this purpose a quantity of river shingle 

 should be procured of not too fine a grain, and this if not 

 clean must be washed again and again with pure water. The 

 bulbs, which ought to be very sound ones, free from any 

 scars, may be inserted in the pebbles as the fancy dictates, the 

 shingle being put into any kind of ornamented bowl. It was 

 formerly thought that bulbs would not flourish unless they 

 could have some sort of drainage, but this is far from being 

 the case. Providing the specimens are not given more water 

 than they can take up from time to time, the plants will 

 flourish well in bowls which have no outlet at the bottom. 



Lachenalias Are Good Subjects for Indoor Culture 



Of course, the remarks concerning the proper rooting of the 

 cover them all completely in with dead leaves or fiber, taking bulbs applies in these cases as much as in any other, 

 care that the material is fairly moist. The bulbs may now As soon as it is wished to bring the bulbs into active 



be left in this condition for about two and a half months, at growth, the pots, or whatever the specimens may be in. 



the end of which period those which were planted first will 

 have started into active growth. In the case of bulbs which 

 have simply been put aside in a dark place, it will be neces- 

 sary to take an occasional look at them to see that they do 

 not want for water. The object of this treatment is to make 



should be taken out of the darkness. For the first two or 

 three days it is not a wise plan to expose the shoots to the 

 full glare of daylight, as this is rather apt to check rapid 

 development. Directly, however, the leaves have assumed 

 the normal green coloring the specimens may be placed in 



(Continued on page 416) 



Snowdrops Are Easily Grown in the House 



Growing Hyacinths in Water 



