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ladies' flower gardener. 



CHAPTER IV 



BULBS AND TUBEROUS-ROOTED FLOWERS — PERENNIALS. 



SHALL give the bulbous and tuberous-rooted flowers a chap- 

 ter to themselves. They are the earliest treasures of the 

 flower-garden, and deserve especial notice. There was a pe- 

 riod when two hundred pounds was offered for a hyacinth root, and 

 even the enormous sum of six hundred pounds was given for a Sem- 

 per Augustus tulip, by the Dutch tulip fanciers. But though a few 

 florists are still particularly nice with respect to their bulbs, the 

 time is past for paying such splendid prices ; and such an inex- 

 haustible variety offer themselves to our notice now, that we are 

 somewhat puzzled in making a choice collection. Seed produces 

 immense numbers yearly, and an infinite variety of new colors in 

 each species. The florist is lost in admiration of the magnificent 

 blooms which meet the eye in every flower-garden which is care- 

 fully attended to. 



Bulbs love a mixture of garden soil and sand, well mixed, and 

 dug about two spades deep to lighten it. Break the mould fine, 

 and rake the surface even. Plant the bulbs four inches deep, 

 and let them be six inches apart, placing the bulb with care into 

 the dibbled hole, and pressing the earth gently round each. All 

 bulbs should be replanted in September, and taken out of the 

 ground when they have done flowering. When the leaves and 

 stems decay, dig them neatly up, in dry weather, with your 

 garden fork ; take the offsets carefully from the main root ; spread 

 them out to dry on a mat, and put them in a cool dry place to 

 plant again in September. 



