V98 



. EVERY WOMAN HER OWN FLOWER GARDENER. 



; If the beds in which the Hyacinths and other bulbs have flowered are 



' needed before the roots have fully matured, they can be taken up and 

 laid in ridges, coyering the roots with sandy earth, but leaying the stems 



?and leayes fully exposed to the air; they will soon decay, and the bulbs 

 will swell to full maturity. If the ground is not required for other 

 plants, the beds can remain for two or three years undisturbed, but 



: larger flowers are produced by yearly transplan tings. The seed-pods 

 should be broken off before they haye had time to deyelop, as ripening 

 the seed would tend to exhaust the strength of the bulb, but the leayes 

 are needful to prepare the pulp for maturing the bulb for another sea- 

 son ; therefore they must not be cut off until they are wholly dried up. 

 When quite dry, separate the offsets, and place by themselyes in paper 

 bags or boxes, and keep in a dark, dry closet, until time to replant them. 

 Their roots will strike through a mellow soil, from ten to eyen twelye 

 inches ; therefore to raise the finest blossoms, the soil should be remoyed 

 at least one foot in depth, and the earth well broken up ; then spread 

 oyer it a layer of three or four inches of leaf mould, well mixed with 

 sand, and fill up with a compost of one-third well- rotted cow manure. 

 - and two-thirds sandy loam, well mingled. If the soil under the pine^ 

 trees of the woods can be obtained, you will make your bulbs blossom 

 in perfection ; it is a dark, sandy loam, excellently fitted for flowering 

 all bulbs. Scouring sand, which can be found in nearly eyery kitchen, 

 is yery useful in planting bulbs ; put a table-spoonful into each hole, and 

 set the bulb upon it. Plant in concentric circles, straight rows, or clusters, 

 and coyer the largest sized bulbs, at least three to four inches. A liberal 

 top dressing of sand will draw the sun's rays early in the season. As soon 

 as the ground freezes hard, coyer the beds with four or fiye inches of straw, 

 leayes, or coarse stable litter; but don't coyer them too early, else the 

 ground mouse may burrow in the warm bed, and feed upon your bulbs. 



As soon as the green sheathed leayes appear, remoyepartof the coyer- 

 ing, and press the earth tightly around the bulbs, else they will crack 

 the earth, and let the chilling winds into the roots. In ten days or a 

 fortnight, if the weather is warm, remoye all the coyerings. 



The florists' catalogues are issued eyery autumn, and offer us a large 

 yariety of roots with high-sounding names. In the selection of bulbs, 

 choose those that are compact, solid, and firm at the base of the root. 



The double yarieties are usually the most desirable for out-door cul- 

 ture, and they will often coyer at least half of the stem with, loyely bells, 



