Oyster 'bay, C. L V^leiu %rh 
TULIPS 
We are tempted to pronounce Tulips the most spectacular of all spring flowers 
for a great variety of reasons. In the first place they bring us a blaze of colors 
when the heart is just about starved through the drab and dreary winter months. 
Their range of colors is perfectly amazing, from clear white to deepest purple 
and maroon, including many superb vari-colored combinations. By a judicious 
selection of early, midseason and late varieties, Tulips may be enjoyed for the 
best part of six weeks outdoors, with an additional two months added when the 
gardener goes in for “forcing” suitable sorts indoors. 
Culture. Tulips should not be grown in soil in which they have been growing 
for two years previously. They do best in fresh soil or in beds in which the soil 
has been changed. Growing them in the same soil for more than 2 years will 
at last lead to failure. 
Do not use fresh stable manure at planting time, as it is injurious to the roots. 
Well-rotted manure will prove beneficial. Bone meal or dried sheep manure also 
can be used, about three handfuls to the square yard. This must be thrown on 
top of the soil before planting. 
When buying bulbs for your garden, order always a few more than you need, 
as sometimes the flower-beds are spoiled by dogs, mice, etc. Plant the surplus 
bulbs in small pots in a comer of your garden so that they can be replanted when 
something of that kind happens to your flower-beds. Old pots are preferable to 
new ones, but if such are used they should be soaked in water a few days before 
they are used for planting bulbs. 
Nearly all Tulips should be planted outside about 5 inches deep, and 6 inches 
apart according to the size of the bulb. They should be planted four weeks before 
severe frost sets in. For pots, six or seven in a 7-inch pot or pan can be used. 
For best results, do not mulch them until after the soil has become frozen, to keep 
out mice, etc. Do not mulch them too heavily, half an inch will prove quite 
enough. Old cow manure, peat moss, salt hay or leaves may be used for this pur¬ 
pose. 
How Many Bulbs to Order for Beds of a Specific Size 
Below we give the number of bulbs needed to plant a circular bed of dimensions 
as stated. Plant outside rows first, and place three inches from edge of bed. It 
is advisable to plant the outer rows more closely than those toward the center. 
Diameter of 
bed 
6 in. 
apart 
8 in. 
apart 
12 in. 
apart 
Diameter of 
bed 
6 in. 
apart 
8 in. 
apart 
12 in. 
apart 
3 feet 
28 
16 
7 
12 feet 
452 
255 
113 
4 feet 
48 
27 
12 
13 feet 
528 
299 
132 
5 feet 
80 
44 
20 
14 feet 
612 
347 
153 
6 feet 
112 
64 
28 
15 feet 
704 
398 
176 
7 feet 
152 
87 
38 
16 feet 
804 
453 
201 
8 feet 
200 
113 
50 
17 feet 
904 
511 
226 
9 feet 
256 
143 
64 
18 feet 
1016 
573 
254 
10 feet 
320 
177 
80 
19 feet 
1132 
638 
283 
11 feet 
380 
214 
95 
20 feet 
1256 
707 
314 
To arrive at the number of bulbs required for an oval bed, add the length and 
breadth and divide by two using the result as the diameter in above table. 
A bed 6 feet wide by 8 feet long will require the same number of bulbs as a 
round bed 7 feet in diameter. (6 + 8 = 14; divided by 2 gives 7.) 
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