46 
name may be written with a lead pencil of medium soft¬ 
ness. This is a simple way of marking and will last 
for one season. Painted wooden or metal stakes will 
last longer, and although the first cost is greater, they 
are more satisfactory in the end. 
The bulblets having been previously sprouted, we 
are ready to plant. If some time has elapsed since the 
first preparation of the bed, we will again rake it 
thoroughly to kill all weeds which may have sprouted. 
Next prepare an inch board 10 inches wide and 
about seven feet long. This may be laid across the bed 
between every alternate row and the planting done from 
it. The little rows for the bulblets may be made along¬ 
side it and they should be made perfectly straight. If 
they are made about half an inch deep, with the soil 
firmed over the bulblets when planted, and then about 
half an inch of sand placed over this, we have the bed 
in fine condition. 
The above method will give the bulblets a start 
over the weeds. Now for weeding such a bed, we use a 
little device which we refer to as the wire weeder. This 
is the greatest little tool we have and the most efficient. 
We make it out of a ten-inch rake of the simplest pat¬ 
tern we can find. We take a hack saw and saw off a 
tooth from each side of the rake with the part of the 
frame to which it is attached, thus making the rake a 
little over two inches narrower than it was to begin 
with; or better yet, buy a rake eight inches wide if it 
can be found. Then we saw out the teeth, leaving a 
tooth at each side of the rake. Then a small hole may 
be drilled through near the point of each of these two 
remaining teeth; or if no drill is available we may saw 
a small notch up into the bottom of the teeth, sawing at 
