104 Work to he done in the Garden . 
Mayor’s Day in London is said to be the day for 
planting bulbs ! 
I feel exceedingly doubtful myself how far this 
is always best, because mine have once or twice 
done better when planted quite six weeks later. 
However, I can here describe the doing it. You 
ought to make the soil all ready by digging deep, 
and if there are many worms and slugs in your 
garden, I should much advise you to mix a little 
soot in the soil all about the roots. Then you 
should put in a little white sand, and set the bulb 
upon it about four inches deep ; cover the bulb 
with sand, and fill up the hole with soil. Some 
people put a little heap of broken turf or dead leaves 
on the top to protect the bulb from rain, but this 
does not look very pretty in a garden. Tulips are 
done in exactly the same way, and they do best, 
I think, planted at this time. 
Unless you have sometimes seen a real fine bed 
of Tulips I am sure you would never believe how 
exceedingly pretty they are. I think a bed of the 
crimson Rex Rubrorum, or of Imperator Rubrorum, 
is really splendid, and as these things are not very 
hard to grow, I cannot see myself why you should 
not have a show bed of Tulips that would be quite 
first-rate. 
