2 
CARL PURDY, UKIAH, CALIFORNIA 
TULIPS, continued 
3 or 4 inches apart each way, and then cover them gently with the soil from a second 
section of the bed. Proceed in this way until the bed is planted, and then level with the 
remaining soil. As the bulbs are about 2 inches high, this will give them a cover of 
about 3 inches of soil. While 
well-rotted manure is preferable, 
any manure can be used that 
has gone through the first heat- 
ing. In cold soils, plant an inch 
shallower. If the soil is heavy, 
and sharp sand is obtainable, 
put some around the bulbs. 
Watering. During the winter 
and early spring, give only 
enough water to keep the bed 
moist; usually the rain is ample. 
As soon as the flower-bud appears, 
water liberally until a few weeks 
after the flowering is over and 
then dry them off. As soon as 
the leaves are dry, dig the bulbs 
and store in any dry, airy place 
until planting time the next fall. 
The lighter the soil, the more 
water is needed during the flower- 
ing season. 
Digging the Bulbs When Ripe. 
A Tulip is ripe when the leaves 
turn yellow. There is no need 
to wait until they are entirely 
dry. Late Tulips can be left in 
the ground from year to year, 
yet this is not the best practice, 
as they form many offsets and 
soon become crowded so that 
the bulbs have not enough room 
to do their best. Then the roots 
of trees and shrubs are apt to 
encroach on the bed, and aim ual 
planting allows one to cut them 
out. Still again the soil must be 
annually enriched if the best 
results are to be had, and the 
cultivation to a good depth is a 
Keizerkroon Tulip (see page 3) distinct advantage. 
Method of Storing. It is not 
necessary to put the bulbs in sand or any other packing material. All that is needed 
is to put them in bags or boxes in a dry place and leave them there until proper plant- 
ing time. 
Gophers. Like the poor they are always with us, and they like Tulips. They can 
be trapped with the right trap and patience. In my gardens, with a frontage of a mile, 
we control them by trapping. It is hard to poison them in a garden because there is 
so much good food, and they store away by far the greater part of what they take. Some 
soft food like carrots, parsnips, green corn or raisins with a little strychnine in it is 
the best method of poisoning. 
Gopher Fences. For years I have thought of some cheap way of fencing them 
out and have at last found it. I use wire mesh described in catalogues as }^-inch mesh 
poultry fence, 30 inches high. 
A ditch 30 inches deep is dug, the netting stood upright in it and the soil then 
worked down on both sides and packed. A gopher very seldom goes below his depth. 
Almost as seldom do they run along the top of the ground as a rat would, seeking a new 
home. For most purposes the gopher fence answers well. 
Tulips in Boxes. If gophers are numerous, the bulbs can be planted in boxes 8 
inches deep, with soil as indicated. The boxes should be in a half-shaded place and 
watered liberally, even in winter. 
