Easy to Grow Bulbs Indoors 



The steadily increasing demand for indoor flowering bulbs, 

 with requests for information as to cultural methods, indicates 

 clearly the greater appreciation of the potential pleasures and 

 educational features that are to be derived easily and inexpen- 

 sively, by both young and old, from this phase of gardening. 



The obtainment of beautiful fragrant flowers from Christmas 

 till the opening of the outdoor season, bringing with them a 

 profusion of cheer from the preceding summer's sunshine, dis' 

 persing the dreariness of long winter days, is well worthy the 

 performance of intricate and arduous tasks. Yet, all that is re- 

 quired is the following out of a few simple directions requiring 

 no special skill, and the bulbs wanting nothing better than "usual 

 home conditions." 



The time of blooming for bulbs can be hastened or retarded 

 at will, so that one can figure to a nicety just when the blooms 

 will be at their best, providing one takes into consideration the 

 fundamental fact that the embryonic flower is already developed 

 and inherent within the perfect forcing bulb itself. All that is 

 required next is to bring about the conditions that will properly 

 stimulate these inherent qualifications into concerted action. 



From its inherent stores the bulb will develop a root system, 

 and to this end will have to undergo necessary changes requir- 

 ing, (1) darkness, (2) low temperature, (3) enough moisture, 

 (4) four to fourteen weeks' time, depending on the kind of 

 bulbs. 



Once the bulbs are well rooted, all that is needed to bring 

 them into bloom is the stimulation by light and warmth. This 

 should be accomplished gradually, requiring a few days to two 

 weeks from the time the bulbs have been taken from the dark 

 and cold to being brought into full sunlight and warmth, when 

 they will nearly have completed leaf growth. For the attainment 

 of finest and largest flowers an excess of heat should be avoided 

 and an equable temperature of about 55° to 62° Fahr. is most 

 desirable. 



Growing Bulbs in Soil; Receptacles. — All bulbs thrive and grow best in light* 

 porous soil that can be prepared by mixing a good, rich, garden loam with 

 about one-fifth its bulk of clean, sharp sand. Bulb pots known as azalea pots 

 are designed especially for the larger sizes of bulbs such as Tulips and Hya- 

 cinths. Small bulbs, such as Crocuses and Freesias may be grown in low 

 fern pots. It is a good practice to soak the pots in water for several hours 

 previous to filling with either earth or fiber; particularly is this true in the 

 case of pots used for Hyacinths. 



Planting the Bulbs and Storing. — When ready to plant, place bits of broken 

 crock over the hole in bottom of pot in such a way as to impede soil sifting 

 and yet allow water drainage. Next, fill the pots to within inches from 

 the top with slightly moist soil; on this layer of soil place the bulbs and fill 

 with earth so that just the tips of the bulbs are left uncovered. The pots 

 should then be put away in a cool place for rooting, which may be in a 

 cellar, attic, in a trench dug for that purpose, or in a cold-frame or spent 

 hotbed. In any or all of these places, conditions of darkness and coolness 

 must be obtained. If placed outdoors in trenches that are eventually filled 

 with earth so as to cover about 6 inches over the pot, no further watering 

 will be necessary until time of removal. Indoors, however, the saucer in 

 which the pots are placed should be filled with water every few days. 



Blooming Period. — Hyacinths, Single Early Tulips and Forcing Daffodils will 

 be ready to bloom after ten weeks in' the cold and dark. Double Early Tu- 

 lips, and other varieties of Narcissi, Darwins and late varieties of Tulips and 

 Crocuses will require twelve to fourteen weeks of rooting period, while 

 Freesias require only four to five weeks for rooting and will compromise 

 with regard to darkness, semi-darkness or shade being sufficient. After the 

 rooting period, the pots should be removed to a place where the tempera- 

 ture and light conditions are a little heightened, and should then be thor- 

 oughly watered. The advancement to full sunlight should be gradual, and the 

 best and longest lasting flowers will develop in uniform temperatures of 

 55° to 62° Fahr. 



Fertilizer. — An excess of fertilizer is undesirable in bulb culture and should be 

 avoided. Such pot plant fertilizer as Stim-U-planT, Bon Arbor, White Rose 

 Plant Food, and Bowker's, used according to container directions, will prove 

 beneficial. 



Growing Bulbs in Water. — Growing bulbs in water is the easiest method of 

 indoor bulb growing and offers possibilities in French Roman Hyacinths, the 

 Chinese Sacred Lilies, Nosegay and Paper-White Narcissi, the popularity of 

 which has been well established by their unfailing merits at a most welcome 

 time. 



Directions for the culture of any bulbs not given elsewhere in this catalogue 

 will be cheerfully furnished upon request by our Information Bureau Depart- 

 ment. 



HERBICK & HELD PRINTING CO. 



PITTSBURGH, PA 



