AMERICAN BULBS UNDER GLASS 7 
of from most of the Bellingham, Wash., varieties, which were thus 
tested for the purpose of determining the effect on the stocks. Com- 
paratively few bulbs of greater development than long necks have 
been planted in these varieties, and many of the largest of these 
have been turned off also. 
Under the practice of marketing all the largest bulbs, a noticeable 
decrease in size of blossom when the bulbs are forced has occurred. 
This demonstrates sufficiently that prime commercial quality in tulip 
stocks will not be maintained when such a large and constant dis- 
posal of the largest bulbs is practiced over a period of years. On 
the other hand, the field display has been constantly satisfactory, 
although gardeners close by who have grown these same stocks 
three or four years produce flowers superior to those grown under 
more nearly commercial conditions and at a sacrifice of all large 
stocks. 
The gist of this whole matter can be put in a sentence which it 
would be well for all tulip lovers, growers, and producers to ponder : 
Commercial stocks of tulips and most other bulbs are necessarily of 
variable and mostly of mediocre quality. The good, honest, intel- 
ligent grower will" put upon the market stocks produced under 
average conditions. He will and must avoid the conditions and 
practices pointed out above as detrimental to quality production, 
but he can not afford to produce the superb exhibition quality in 
competition with average market materials. To produce top-notch 
or what might be called exhibition quality, it is necessary to devote 
twice as much space as usual to the production of each bulb, and 
to furnish a higher fertility to that space. Then when these two 
stocks, the exhibition and the commercial mediocre, are placed on 
the market in the dormant state, the difference in quality may not 
be strikingly apparent. 
These differences in quality will account for vast legitimate differ- 
ences in price. They also offer a fine field for the expert grower to 
work up first-quality stocks and cater to the most appreciative and 
discerning clientele at prices which justify such quality production. 
DAFFODILS 
In general, the daffodils forced in 1925 and in previous years were 
fully up to expectations in both quality and floriferousness. No dif- 
ficulty was experienced with them even under dwelling-house condi- 
tions where about 20 varieties were handled successfully in previous 
years in both soil and fiber. (Pis. 3 and 4.) 
Here again, as with many other bulb stocks, success is not so much a 
question of locality in our temperate latitudes as it is of the handling 
of the bulbs in that locality. When the stocks are produced under 
proper conditions and grown to normal size their performance is 
normal, influenced of course by the usual conditions of season, cli- 
mate, soils, and methods of handling under glass. It seems best to 
discuss the principal varieties separately. 
SIR WATKIN 
Sir Watkin (pi. 4, C) proved to be as good a forcer as when 
grown abroad. Bulbs submitted flowered well, but there was a very 
