TRANSPLANTING BULBS. 



37 



The common bulbs, such as Snowdrops, Crocuses, &c, may be 

 left two or three years untouched ; but at the end of that period 

 take them up, to separate the offsets and small roots from the 

 mother plants. You can replant them immediately, taking care 

 to thin the clumps, and separate each root six inches from its 

 neighbor, that they may rise healthy, and throw out fine blooms. 



Narcissuses, Jonquils, and Irises, may also remain two years 

 untouched ; but if annually taken up, they Tvill flower finer, and 

 for these reasons. 



By taking up your bulbs as soon as their leaves and stems de- 

 cay, it not only allows you to separate the offsets, which weaken 

 the parent bulb, but it prevents their receiving any damage from 

 long drought, or the equally destructive moisture of heavy rains, 

 which would set them growing again before their time, and ex- 

 haust them. The two or three months in which they are laid by 

 contributes to their strength, by allowing them that period of 

 complete rest. 



The autumn-flowering bulbs, such as the Oolchicums, the Au- 

 tumnal Crocus, the Yellow Autumnal Narcissus, &c, should be 

 taken up in May or early in June, when they are at rest. Trans- 

 plant them now, if you wish to remove them ; part the offsets, 

 and plant them six inches apart. If you keep them out of the 

 ground, put them in a dry, shady place, till the middle of July 

 or August, when you must plant them again, to blow in the au- 

 tumnc 



Be careful to take up bulbs as soon as the leaves decay. If 

 they are incautiously left in the ground beyond that period, they 

 begin to form the bud for the next year's flowers ; and the check 

 of a removal would injure them. They might produce flowers 

 in due time, but they would be weakly. 



The little offsets will not flower for a year or two. They may 



