24 BULLETIN 191, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 
more (figs. 11 and 13), which are removed and grown to flowering 
size. The degree of splitting varies greatly, even in members of the 
same genus, and is modified by both cultural and handling methods. 
In practice, this is the commercial method of increasing the stocks of 
tulips and narcissi, and to some extent of hyacinths. The repro- 
duction of the narcissus by this method will mean approximately 
a doubling each year. In the case of Darwin tulips about an 80 per 
cent increase each year may be expected, and in single early tulips 
a little less than this. So many factors are involved that it is very 
difficult to give exact figures. 
TThile the propagation of the Roman hyacinth is essentially the 
same as that of the narcissus, the Dutch hyacinth is reproduced by a 
Fig. 14.- — A scooped hyacinth bulb ready to Fig. 15. — A scored hyacinth bulb ready to 
be planted after in incubation period of t>e planted after an incubation period of 
three months in artificial heat. three months in artificial heat. 
very artificial process. It consists essentially of the destruction of 
the growing point of the bulb, causing the development of many 
growing points on the callused edges of the severed scales. Two forms 
of this artificial reproduction are practiced. One known as the 
" scooping" method (fig. 14) consists of cutting out a convex section 
of the bulb base, removing the basal plate entirely and making the cut 
parallel to its upper surface. This is done with a curved scalpel or 
a round-bowled spoon sharpened on the edges. The other, known as 
the " scoring" method (fig. 15), consists of making two to four cuts 
with a sharp knife across the base of the bulb, each cut being the 
diameter of the circular base and passing entirely through the basal 
plate and intersecting the other cuts in the growing point, which is 
destroyed. 
It is a common practice to dip the cut surface of the scooped bulbs 
in a little air-slaked lime mixed with clrv sand to hasten their drying 
