28 BULLETIN 1082, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
representing a variety sized as they are to be planted. The con- 
tainers for this work may be any suitable receptacles. It is the 
practice of the Bureau of Plant Industry to use lug boxes, tubs, and 
sacks, according to the quantity of each size planted. In commercial 
work, where the number of varieties is reduced to a minimum, this 
matter is very much simplified. 
IMPLEMENTS OF TULIP-BULB PRODUCTION. 
Ordinary farm tools suffice to put the land in condition for tulip 
culture. A plow, harrow, disk, rolling-disk packer pulverizer, and 
at times graders and ditchers are the implements employed. 
The special tools are few in number and simple in construction. 
Usually they can not be bought ready made in this country, but 
must be homemade or made to order. Such tools, however, present 
no difficulties which any carpenter or blacksmith can not overcome. 
Marker. — The marker (PI. VI) is essentially a revolving drum, so 
constructed that it marks the center and margins of a 3-foot bed, 
together with rows 6 inches apart across the bed. It is a simple im- 
plement, having solid circular ends of wood 18 inches in diameter, 
these being held in place by slats set in the periphery 6 inches apart, 
for marking the rows. Another board wheel into which the cross 
slats are mortised is placed in the center of this roller marker for 
rigidity. Then by binding over the end and center wheels with a hoop, 
which may be one-fourth to one-half inch thick, the center and mar- 
gins of the bed are marked with longitudinal lines. Through the 
center runs an axle, to which the operating handles are attached. 
Screens. — Screens for removing the loose dirt at the time of digging 
are indispensable in any considerable operation in bulb culture. 
They are simply rectangular shallow boxes 14 by 22 inches in size 
and 4 inches deep with galvanized-wire bottoms. A mesh of one- 
fourth inch is the most serviceable for tulips. (See PI. IX, Fig. 1.) 
The ends of these trays are reinforced with an extra thickness of 
board. This gives greater rigidity and allows for the construction 
of a handhold without impairing the safety of the contents while the 
sieve is operated. 
Besides these hand screens, which are used for small and moderate 
quantities of tulips, there are larger machines, usually spoken of as 
shakers. They are rectangular boxes mounted on a frame in such 
a way that the contents may be agitated vigorously to remove dirt. 
They handle about a bushel of bulbs. This machine, well illustrated 
in Plate IX, Figure 2, consists of a rectangular tray, like the small hand 
sieve, but the box is 2 feet 4 inches wide, 6 feet long, and 8 inches 
deep. It also has a £-inch wire-mesh bottom. About 15 inches from 
one end there is inserted a removable slide partition, and the wire 
bottom terminates at the slide. Over the opening back of the slide 
