THE GARDEN PRIMER 



potato-like bulbs — away from the light in a basket or 

 a shallow box with a piece of wire screening for the 

 bottom. Bury the scaly bulbs in leaf mold or moist sand 

 in boxes without covers. Rhizomes and thickened- 

 root forms may be kept in the same way, in sand, 

 sphagnum moss or leaf mold. Be sure that the tem- 

 perature does not run higher than the stipulated degrees : 

 it may better go lower, if anything. Warmth, even a 

 little of it, is likely to start hardy bulbs into growth 

 prematurely. 



Tender bulbs require at least ten degrees more 

 warmth than the highest temperature suitable for the 

 hardy fellows — that is, a tem-perature of at least 50° F. 

 The solid bulbs of this division, after dndng for a month, 

 should be kept buried in dry sand or ashes; the scaly 

 or coated bulbs, and the rhizome forms, may be shaken 

 free of earth and \\Tapped in paper or put into paper 

 bags, tied up, and hung up where it is dry and uni- 

 formJy of the required even warmth. Look out for mice, 

 for they have a great taste for this form of vegetable 

 during the v/inter m-onths. 



Kept properly, bulbs may remain out of the ground 

 for many months without injur}-, but no bulb should 

 ever be permitted to stay out of its natural element a 

 moment longer than the season demands. The place 

 for them is in the dirt: even when they are dormant, 

 they are better off there, if it is possible to leave them 

 there. The only reason for not doing so is the suscepti- 

 bility of the foreigners to our rigorous climate. 



Bulbs of full size only are worth buying. Seconds 



114 



