September 2, 1899. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
5 
SUTTON’S 
FLOWERING 
BULBS 
FOR THE 
GARDEN AND CONSERVATORY. 
For Full Particulars and Descriptions of the best 
NARCISSI OR DAFFODILS, TULIPS, 
HYACINTHS, CROCUSES, 
ETC., ETC., 
See Sutton’s Bulb Catalogue for 1899. 
SUTTON’S BULBS genuine only direct from SUTTON & SONS, READING, 
“ HORTICULTURAL READINGS, ' 
No. i, Post Free, 7d. 
Horticultural Correspondence Classes, 
For Particulars and Prospectus apply— 
TUTOR, 4, New Street, Kenilworth. 
“Gardening is the purest of human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man." —Bacon. 
Edited by J. FRASER. F.L.S. 
SATURDAY , SEPTEMBER 2nd, 1899. 
NEXT WEEK’S ENGAGEMENTS. 
Wednesday, September 6th.—York Florists’ Exhibition of 
Dahlias, &c. ; Derbyshire Agricultural and Horticultural 
Sooiety’s Show dt Derby—probable- (2 days); Glasgow 
Show (2 days). 
Thursday. September ytb.—Dundee Horticultural Society's 
Exhibition (3 days). 
Friday, September 8th.—Wellingborough and M : dland Coun¬ 
ties Dahlia Society's Show (2 days). 
||Che Popularity of Bulbs. —It might be 
said that the utility of these determine 
their popularity ; but that only leaves the 
case half explained. A more comprehensive 
view of the case would be that utility, 
beauty and sentiment are all concerned in 
regulating the desire for bulbs. Their 
utility, from an economic point of view, 
depends entirely upon what the growers 
and retailers can make out of them com¬ 
mercially ; and generally speaking it will be 
admitted they earn their profits, inasmuch 
as they sell their goods at a price within 
reach of the humblest of the land. In this 
country at least bulbs, with the exception 
of Onions and their allies, are not eaten ; 
but amongst savages of higher or lower 
degree, bulbs are of use or necessity in pro¬ 
portion as they serve as food. Here, how¬ 
ever the beauty or decorative value, the 
love and sentiment attached to bulbs, are 
determined by cultivated taste born of the 
education which civilisation brings in its 
train. The extent of this education then is 
the determining factor in the popularity of 
bulbs. Flowers of all sorts are required to 
meet the varied tastes of their admirers, 
rich and poor. During the winter and 
spring months, particularly, bulbs are 
capable of satisfying this taste or love. 
Except during the colder months or weeks 
of autumn and winter bulbs may be 
flowered in the open air. By forcing 
Dutch and other bulbs the entire twelve 
months of the year may be bridged over, 
so that the supply is perennial. Indeed, 
by forcing some and retarding others by 
the refrigerator, particular kinds may be had 
in bloom throughout the year, if desired. 
By the arts known to gardeners, some 
kinds such as Eucharis and Hippeastrum 
may be bloomed at any or every period of 
the year without the aid of the refrigerator. 
As mentioned above, everyone may 
possess bulbs, from those who have only a 
window to flower them, to the florist or 
nobleman, with their serried ranks in greem 
house, conservatory, garden or field. An 
outlay of £5 can procure close upon 5,000 
bulbs suitable for outdoor planting ; and 
for 5s.about 250, more or less,can be bought. 
Then, if we take into consideration the ease 
with which the bulbs may be flowered, and 
the little trouble many of them entail, we 
find ample reasons for their popularity, as 
compared with many other flowers, which 
exact a greater or less amount of cultural 
skill and attention throughout the year. 
Dutch and several other bulbs, particularly 
Lilies and Tuberoses are really brought to 
the flowering stage by the growers, so that 
the cultivator has only to bloom them and 
his labours are completed. Until they 
commence to grow and require light, they 
may be, and are accommodated in the open 
air under ashes or cocoanut fibre. Previous 
to that the houses may be occupied with 
other subjects. 
Roman Hyacinths herald the season, and 
the earliest will commence flowering in the 
course of two months, more or less, accord¬ 
ing to the time they are potted and placed 
under conditions favourable to or inducive 
to growth. Lily of the Valley, associated 
with this class of flowers, early Tulips and 
Narcissi and the large Hyacinths follow in 
succession, and keep up a supply till those 
in the open ground can commence their 
career, dependent upon the weather. In 
mild winters Snowdrops commence blooming 
by Christmas in the southern and more 
favoured parts of England, though February 
is more likely to furnish an abundance of 
Snowdrops, Crocuses, Winter Aconite, &c. 
From this time onwards the flowering 
period in the open air extends to the end of 
May or the beginning of June, in the case 
of the florist’s Tulips and double Poet’s 
Narcissus. In Scotland, the open air 
display commences in March, earlier or 
later according to the mildness or rigour of 
the season. This applies to what are 
usually termed Dutch bulbs, because grown 
or reared in Holland, though many of them 
