87 
We believe that it may be better even that most 
of the shell remain on the bulblet, for we have often 
noticed in our sprouting cabinet that where one-hall 
of the shell is removed and the other half left on, that 
the first rootlet to be made by the bulblet usually ap¬ 
pears on the side where the shell is, apparently for the 
reason that the piece of shell helps to retain moisture 
or a more even temperature. 
If one does not have time to peel the bulblets early 
in the spring, it is well to begin sprouting them quite 
early without peeling them first. Over half of most 
varieties will sprout without peeling and we need not 
bother to peel the remainder till they seem to have 
reached the point where not many are sprouting; these 
may then be spread in the sunshine for a day 01 tw o. 
This will dry the shell so that they may be peeled more 
easily. The shell may in some varieties easily be cracked 
between the fingers or we may use the small blade of 
a pocket knife, or tweezers. 
In peeling the larger bulblets, like Purple Glory, we 
prefer to open the base of the bulblet as they are less 
liable to be injured than if the end is opened where 
the eye is, for it will be found that quite a number have 
already commenced to grow. As they are peeled they 
should be placed in very warm water for a few hours 
and again placed in a pack in the sprouting cabinet. It 
will be found that many of these will sprout in a few 
days. Rose Ash went over 85% and Bengal Tiger over 
95% for us without peeling. Some others, especially 
where the bulblets have been grown from bulblets or 
from very young bulbs, will do nearly as well. So it 
is quite a saving in effort to leave the peeling till we 
have sprouted as many as possible first. However, we 
