crock is placed directly across the hole. After this, put about an 
inch of drainage material in the pot, but less than this should go 
in shallow pans and fiats. Materials to use for drainage purposes 
are crock, turf or sod, charcoal or even stone. These are spoken 
of as drainage material, because a loose area is formed through 
which water slowly trickles, and at the same time the soil is not 
clogged with too much water. Charcoal may serve a double pur- 
pose, for it is thought by some to sweeten the soil. It is perhaps 
well to use a piece of charcoal in each pot when other drainage 
material is not used. One, of course, can raise bulbs successfully 
without using charcoal at all. The soil goes next after this layer. 
Now comes another point to calculate, and that is the amount of 
soil necessary before putting in the bulbs. Find it out thus: 
hold the bulb to be used down into the pot so it is in the place 
it ought to be. Hyacinths should be potted so that their noses 
(the pointed end of the bulb is called the nose) are one-half inch 
below the surface of the soil; tulips, one-quarter inch below the sur- 
face; and the narcissus group above the soil. The upper surface 
of soil in a pot should be one inch below the edge of the pot. 
This space allowed is for watering, so that soil will not flood over 
the edge of the pot when water is put on. After this, put a little 
sand over the soil, a layer not more than an eight of an inch thick. 
This sand bed acts as a drainage area, allowing water to trickle 
down and away from the bulb. Now place the bulbs in their sand 
beds. Leave just space enough between the bulbs so that no two 
touch. Neither should they touch the sides of the pot. Cover 
with soil, pressing it down firmly about the bulbs. Now they are 
ready for the season of rest. 
Resting Period.— All potted bulbs should be placed in a dark, 
cold place for six to ten weeks. Roman hyacinths maybe brought 
in after a month’s rest. The object of this resting period is to 
give time for the roots to develop slowly and surely before the 
plants are brought into the light. For as soon as this time comes, 
a bulb expends all its energy in forcing the flowers and leaves so 
