The Available Material 15 
well as for their beauty. They have not 
been distinguished in the Tables and Lists 
appended, however, for the reason that it 
is an unnecessary classification to make 
when the distinction between Hardy and 
Tender has been sharply drawn. It is 
rather garden ignorance than garden 
knowledge that refers to them now under 
the once commonly used name; hence it 
is avoided here. But the explanation 
seems in order, that there may be no mis- 
understanding or doubt about the term, 
if it is met. 
While it is not perhaps essential to 
success to know that there are four dis- 
tinct kinds of plant growth designated by 
the general term of bulb, only one of 
which is truly a bulb; it is nevertheless- 
well to learn the distinction. One really 
can never know too much about anything, 
I find. The other root forms which we 
refer to as bulbs, but which are not bulbs, 
are actually rhizomes, tubers or corms, 
according as they are (1) simply a creep- 
