HARDY SPRING-FLOWERING 



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THEIR NATURE AND TREATMENT. 

 :pi- a. est t asm f-roj^t October to decembek. 



Bulbs belong to a particular division of the vegetable kingdom ; they are 

 all, with scarcely a single exception, very ornamental, and hence desirable 

 for the very large size of their flower in proportion to the entire plant, and 

 for the brilliancy of their colors. By far the greater number of bulbs flower in the 

 spring, and produce their flower stems immediately after they begin to grow ; and 

 shortly after they have flowered they cease growiug,and remain dormant and with- 

 out leaves during the remainder of the year ; hence, almost all bulbs require to be 

 planted in the autumn— a fact which most amateurs are apt to overlook, and fre- 

 quently send their orders out of season. They require a free, dry and somewhat 

 rich soil, into which the roots may penetrate freely. A bulb is essentially a bud, 

 and contains within itself the germs of the leaves and flowers which are to be pro- 

 duced the following season ; thus, in one sense, they are of more easy culture than 

 any other class of plants, because the germ being previously formed, and the nour- 

 ishment being provided in the body of the bulb, it is only necessary to supply heat 

 and moisture to cause them to develop ; this is fully exemplified in the Hyacinth, 

 Narcissus, Crocus, early Tulips, and some other bulbs, which can be flowered 

 when placed over water in glasses or in wet moss. The Hyacinth is the especial 

 favorite for forcing in glasses, and full directions for their management will be 

 found under the head of Hyacinths. 



SOIL — The proper compost for Hyacinths, Tulips, Crown Imperials, Iris, 

 Ranunculus, Anemones, Crocus, and most other bulbs, is the following : one-third 

 sand, one-third well rotted cow manure and one-third good garden mould. 



The Amaryllis require a richer loam, and Ixias and Gladiolus a soil rather more 

 sandy than the general average. 



TIME OF PLANTING — The preferable season for planting all hardy bulbs, 

 is from October to December ; but they can be set out at any later time, so long as 

 the bulbs remain sound. 



DEPTH AND DISTANCE— Hyacinths, large Lilies and Pseonias, should 

 be planted at the depth of four inches ; Crown Imperials and Polyanthus Narcissus, 

 five inches ; Tulips, Double Narcissus, Jonquils and Colchiums, three inches ; 

 Bulbous Iris, Crocus, small Fritillarias, Gladiolus Byzantinus and Snowdrops, 

 two inches ; Ranunculus and Anemones, one inch ; always measuring from top of 

 the bulb. The rows should be about ten inches apart, and the roots to be placed 

 from four to six inches apart in the rows, according to their size. 



TAKING UP AND PRESERVING— Take up Bulbous Roots about a 

 month after the blossom is completely over, in the following manner ; when the 

 plants put on a yellowish decayed appearance, take up the roots, cut off the stem 

 and foliage within an inch of the bulbs, but leave the fibres, etc., attached to them; 

 spread them in an airy room for two or three weeks to dry, after which wrap each 

 root carefully in paper, (as the air is very injurious to bulbs,) or cover them in sand 

 perfectly dry. 



Bulbs intended for blooming in pots during the winter season, should be planted 

 during the months of October and November, and be left exposed to the open air 

 (covered with a few inches of tan or soil; until they begin to freeze, and then be 

 placed in the greenhouse or a room where fire is usually made. They will need 

 moderate occasionally watering until they begin to grow, when they should have an 

 abundance of air in mild weather, and plenty of water from the saucers whilst in a 

 growing state ; and should be exposed as much as possible to the sun, air and light 

 to prevent the leaves from growing too long or becoming yellow. 



