PRODUCTION OF TULIP BULBS. 13 
EARLY MATURITY AFFECTING THE BLOSSOMING SEASON. 
It is very important for the grower to realize that the tulip bulb is 
not inactive during the so-called dormant period, when the bulbs are 
out of the ground. (Compare the bulbs in PL VII, Fig. 3.) Pro- 
found changes take place in the bulbs on the shelves, which though 
invisible, are no less important than the development of leaf stem 
and roots the next season. Upon these changes largely depends the 
time of flowering the next season. Consequently, with a varying 
dormant season there will be a corresponding variation in the next 
flowering season. But with given conditions during dormancy, the 
earlier the bulbs mature the earlier they will flower the next season. 
Besides, under our Puget Sound conditions, bulbs dug and kept on 
the shelves less than two months flower earlier than those left undug 
It will readily be seen that stocks which mature early will blossom 
earlier the next season than those which mature later. A difference 
of a few degrees of temperature for two months during storage, 
however, will greatly advance the development of the flower spike 
and consequently cause the stocks to blossom earlier. This principle 
forms the basis of the early flowering of the Dutch Prepared bulbs 
which have been put on the market in recent years. 
Some experiences with early-maturing stocks are to the point. 
Several varieties of single early tulips were salvaged from the beds 
on the grounds of the Department of Agriculture in April, 1919. 
They were heeled in to ripen, dug, and dried by June 15 in the climate 
of Washington, D. C. They were then shipped to Bellingham, 
Wash., and planted with the other stocks of the same varieties in 
August. The next spring these all flowered from a week to 10 days 
ahead of the home-grown Bellingham stocks. Indeed, Keizerkroon 
flowered so early that it was 10 days after it was in full flower before 
the petals could spread because of low temperatures. This is an 
extreme case, but illustrates well the effect on the next season's 
blossoming of early maturity coupled with high temperature at the 
time of curing. 
In the purchase of stocks the tulip grower will find a great variation 
with the locality in which the stocks are grown, as well as with the 
condition under which they are handled during the so-called dormant 
period. 
SALE OF FLOWERS. 
The sale of flowers has little place in connection with tulip-bulb 
production. The production of flowers and of bulbs for sale are two 
separate ventures and are largely incompatible. 
For the flowers to be of value they must have long stems. To 
secure these in any tulip requires the removal of leafage, which is 
not compatible with proper bulb production. 
