COMMERCIAL DUTCH-BULB CULTURE. 
19 
In the work of the Department of Agriculture at Bellingham, tulip 
bulbs are placed in boxes, which are moved along by the digger. No 
effort is made at this time to get rid of the dirt. About a bushel of the 
bulbs are then shaken lightly in a homemade shaker which has a quar- 
ter-inch wire-mesh bottom (see fig. 8), and the loose dirt is thus re- 
moved. After drying, the bulbs are taken from the shelves to 
tables and picked over by hand. This process consists in breaking 
the clumps of bulbs apart and removing the old scales and bases. 
Of late, much labor has been saved by passing the bulbs over a 
5 -centimeter to 7-cen- 
timeter screen before 
hand picking. All the 
smaller loose bulbs 
and some scales and 
dirt are thus elimi- 
nated. These bulblets 
are then passed 
through a blower 
( fanning mill ) , when 
they are ready for 
planting, the large 
bulbs and clumps (fig. 
11) being the only 
ones worked over by 
hand. This simple 
device of sieving out 
the smaller sizes re- 
duces the handwork 
in cleaning tulips 
nearly one-half. The 
sieves used are made 
of parchment, and 
the blower is padded 
with canvas to protect 
the bulbs. Extreme care is necessary in all of these operations lest 
the bulb be bruised. 
Narcissus bulbs, except the smaller sizes, which go into the bulb 
house immediately on being dug, are thrown into windrows, allowed 
to dry a few hours, and then covered with debris to prevent injury 
from the sun. Later they are sieved, like the tulips, and placed in 
the bulb house or in open sheds on trays or shelves. After the roots 
are dry the bulbs are worked over by hand to break the clumps apart. 
In some cases the roots are pulled off also, but it is questionable 
whether anything is gained in taking time for this. There was a 
time when the narcissus bulbs which were imported into this coun- 
Fig. 11. — Bulbs of a Darwin tulip, showing a normal 
reproduction of two flowering bulbs; and four smaller 
ones. 
