V 
A UTUMN 
151 
dils, six inches or more. A label or little 
piece of stick should, as a rule, be put to 
mark the centre of a patch, if the bulbs are 
planted in groups of from three to a dozen, 
to warn spades and forks when the beds are 
being dug that there is danger of cutting a 
bulb in two. If you want to have bulbs in the 
house, such as hyacinths or a group of tulips or 
narcissus, they should be planted early, as you 
naturally would prefer to have your plants 
indoors in flower sooner than those in your 
garden. Put them in pots in August or 
September, and cover them over out of doors 
in a warm corner with ashes, if you can get 
some, and let them remain hidden up until the 
points of the young growth begin to appear 
above the pot; then take them into the house. 
Not only bulbs should be put in, but almost 
all planting is best when done in the autumn. 
Any time during that season is suitable, as 
long as the weather is mild and open, and the 
ground not locked up by frost. But do not 
choose a very wet day or when the ground is 
soaked by rain, as you might catch cold and 
your plants might do so also. The ground 
then is so sticky that plants cannot be properly 
planted. Their little roots must all be care¬ 
fully spread out and well covered with fine soil, 
then filled in with the rest of the earth, and 
