18 BULLETIN 1082, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
one dropper, the roots always indicating the original position but no 
roots appearing from the dropper, which is always more heavily 
coated than the normal bulbs. 
THE BULB HOUSE. 
The house in which tulips are handled should have provision for 
the perfect control of both ventilation and light. The heat condi- 
tions will be subject to the natural fluctuations of the temperature 
of the region. 
The conventional structure for this purpose has not less than one- 
third of its wall space made up of partly glazed doors extending from 
the floor nearly or quite to the ceiling. The interior arrangement 
is such as to admit of storing the bulbs in layers 4 to 5 inches deep. 
This is accomplished by the use of stationary shelving or trays, as 
shown in Plate XII, Figures 1 and 2, and Plate XIII, Figure 2. 
The shelves may be built in, about 15 inches apart and 2\ feet 
wide. They are usually constructed 5 feet wide, with a partition in 
the center, thus making two shelves, back to back as it were. 
Between these double rows of shelves are alleyways about 3 feet 
wide, to permit getting the bulbs in and out. 
Trays are stacked in racks made to receive them. They have an 
advantage over the shelves in that they can be placed closer together, 
thus economizing storage space; but the trays have the disadvantage 
of requiring a greater width of alley than the solid shelf. The alley- 
ways for the trays must be wide enough to permit carrying through 
them the trays loaded with bulbs. 
The size of the tray will depend upon a man's notion of conven- 
ience. Those employed by the Bureau of Plant Industry at present 
are 4 feet square and 2 to 2\ inches deep. They should always be 
constructed of matched lumber, to prevent even the smallest bulbs 
from falling through and thus mixing stocks. The Plant Industry 
tray is a 2-man tray; a few trays, however, 2 by 4 feet, can be 
handled by one man. Some prefer a tray about 3 feet square, which 
can be handled by one man. 
One grower has made his trays 3 by 9 feet. (PL XIII, Fig. 2.) 
These have 2^-inch blocks under their corners, so they can be stacked 
one on top of the other in piles without racks. These have the 
advantage of economizing space, but the disadvantage that a tray 
can not be removed at will for use or for examination without moving: 
all above it. This form of tray is better adapted to large than to 
small quantities of bulbs of one variety. 
THE MANAGEMENT OF THE BULB HOUSE. 
Given control of the two factors of ventilation and light, it is a 
comparatively simple matter to cure tulips properly in practically 
any region in this country that is adapted to growing tulips. Dry 
