Ailments and Troubles 45 
trious making and packing away of little 
flower embryos was disturbed. Conse- 
quently there are no blossoms this year, al- 
though the plants are waxing strong and 
big. Next summer will bring the flowers 
though, and many of them I expect, for 
they are being encouraged and fed on the 
fat of the land, to make up for having 
been castaways. 
Bulbs from pots that have been forced 
are in a similar state of unpreparedness 
to bloom the first year in the ground. 
Planted in the autumn they make some 
root growth before winter locks them up 
for the “night.” When spring wakens 
them they will put forth leaves and grow 
of course ; but there are no blossoms, be- 
cause, living in a pot for a brief space at 
Christmas or Easter time and then being 
shaken out quite dry, is distinctly not con- 
ducive to the good, hard, concentrated 
work necessary in the manufacture of 
flowers. If after the blossoms had 
faded, the flower stalks had been cut 
