PREFACE. 



The growing of bulbs to produce flowers in their 

 greatest perfection, is a branch of gardening peculiar to 

 itself, and one in which the minor, yet important details, 

 are not generally understood. It is one of the objects 

 of this book to show how the growing of bulbs can be 

 made a pleasure, or a profitable industry, by giving com- 

 plete cultural instructions in detail. The flowering of 

 bulbs is a very simple matter. The bulb, when it comes 

 from the hands of the grower, contains within itself the 

 food for the future flower, and it does not require the 

 gardeners' skill to develop it. There are a few necessary 

 points to be considered, and these we have so plainly 

 stated, that many of the supposed difficulties in their 

 cultivation have been removed. Causes of failure have 

 been explained so fully, that with but little trouble, 

 there need be no fear of loss in their cultivation. The 

 growing of bulbs, other than the charms their flowers 

 possess, has many advantages over that of any other 

 class of flowering plants ; among others, and a very great 

 one, is that many of them produce their flowers in very 

 early spring, at a season when few other plants are in 

 blossom, and yet when flowers are doubly valuable from 

 their rarity. At this season, in a sheltered, sunny spot, 

 a few clumps of Snow-drops, Crocus and Scillas will pre- 

 sent a mass of color, in graceful forms, while the snow 

 yet lingers in shaded places ; before these are gone, the 

 Hyacinths refresh us with their grateful fragrance ; 



