THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
2.31 
state of repose sooner than natural, they can 
be brought again into active growth sooner 
than their accustomed seasons; and by making- 
it more complete than it can be made in a state 
of nature, the plants maybe made to awake with 
greater vigour. 
"With respect to bulbs, their period of 
repose commences, as in other plants^ with the 
withering of the leaves, and as complete repose 
cannot be induced when the stimulus of mois- 
ture is present, it becomes necessary to take 
the bulbs out of the ground. As soon then as 
the choice sorts of bulbous flowers are past 
blowing, and the leaves beginning to die off, 
the bulbs should be taken out of the ground, 
choosing dry weather for this purpose ; and 
they should be gradually and thoroughly dried 
by spreading them out and turning them, to 
prevent the appearance of mouldiness or 
canker. 
" It is also important to cut off the flower 
stems just before flowering, to place these in 
water, and blow them there, allowing the 
leaves, as already explained in the cultivation 
of seedlings, to remain for the purpose of 
nourishing the bulb. But it is said that the 
bulb will be apt to canker and rot, if the flower 
stem be cut down after blowing, while it is 
still fresh, and before it dies down. 
" There is another principle, hitherto I believe 
overlooked by practical writers and practical 
men, for inducing a complete state of rest in 
the dug-up bulbs. I refer to the influence of 
light. Bulbs, like all underground vegetable 
productions, dislike the light r and hence, when 
bulbs are planted too shallow, they do not blow 
so finely as when deeper in the ground. 
Hence it is fairly inferred that light has, to 
speak physiologically, rather a sedative than a 
stimulant effect on bulbs ; consequently, by 
placing the dug-up bulbs in the light, and not 
shutting them up in boxes and baskets, as most 
florists recommend, must induce a more com- 
plete state of repose. Besides, by carrying off 
the superfluous water from the stored up pulp, 
it tends to enrich its nutritive properties, and 
this also is best effected in the light, which 
promotes evaporation as well as decompo- 
sition. 
" The natural period of repose for most 
bulbs is six weeks,, or two months,, but many 
sorts may be kept out of the ground several 
months, and some sorts admit of being kept 
out of the ground from the time the flowers 
and leaves decay till the following spring, as 
is often practised, to obtain a longer succession 
of bloom in the flowers. Bulbs of the coated 
or laminated kinds, such as lilies, should not 
be kept out of the soil longer than six or 
eight weeks, the summer flowering sorts being 
set at separate periods in the autumn, and in 
the beginning of the year, before the latter 
end of February, so as to produce a succession 
of flowers. With others of a more delicate 
nature, this method is also common, but they 
should have a dry sandy soil, in order to stand 
the winter without rotting, where there happens 
to be much wet, succeeded by severe frosts. 
" When bulbs have remained in the ground 
longer than the proper period, so as to have 
struck out new roots, they should always be 
removed with balls of earth, as where this is 
not attended to they grow Aveak. On this 
account the exact period for removal should be 
carefully observed. It is necessary, on taking 
up the choice kinds of bulbous roots annually, 
to separate the offsets for increase, as well as 
to prepare the earth of the beds and borders 
afresh, to promote the fineness of the succeed- 
ing year's bloom. The inferior sorts of bul- 
bous roots should also be removed every other 
year, or as often as their offsets are consider- 
ably increased ; for when increased into large 
bunches, they cramp each other in growth, 
and produce small, ill-nourished flowers. 
"Planting out and After-culture. — 
With respect to the seasons for planting out 
bulbs, after proper drying, it is recommended 
as the best practice to plant the spring kinds 
in the beginning of the autumn, such as in 
the latter end of September, or beginning of 
the following month; and those of the summer 
flowering in October, or the beginning of 
November ; and those of the autumn blowing 
in the latter part of July, or in the following 
month ; too early and too late planting being 
equally to be avoided, as when put in too 
soon the flowers are liable to be injured by 
being too forward if the winter and early 
spring prove severe ; and when delayed too 
long they are apt previously to exhaust them- 
selves by forming roots. The offsets of bulbs 
should in general be put into the ground a con- 
siderable time before the periods of planting 
out the full-sized roots ; those taken from 
coated or laminated bulbs mostly requiring 
to be immediately replanted. With respect 
to the disposal of bulbs in planting, the larger 
and more choice sorts require beds a little 
rounded, of three, four, or more feet in width, 
according to circumstances ; the smaller sorts 
appear best in patches in the common borders, 
in clusters of three, four, or five together, 
according to their respective height. With 
the large sorts, one in a place is sufficient. 
The fancy sorts of bulbs, when planted in beds, 
are usually put in rows eight or nine inches 
apart, and from five to seven inches distant, 
in proportion to their height. Some prefer 
less room, but where a strong blow is required 
these distances are not too great. 
" The depths of setting bulbs are in general 
according to their sizes or growths, as three 
or four inches from their upper parts, though 
