Forcing Bulbs, and Bulbs Adapted 
to House Culture 
EBEN E. EEXFORD 
T he winter forcing of bulbs is a phase of 
floriculture rapidly on the increase among 
the lover of flowers, and 1 am always glad 
to “speak a good word” for the practice, because the 
attempt almost always results satisfactorily. If 
proper care is given potted bulbs there need be but 
few failures. 
At the head of the list of desirable bulbs for forcing 
1 would place Ltlnini Harrisii, sometimes cata¬ 
logued as Bermuda lily, but most commonly known 
as the Easter lily, because it is grown so extensively 
for Easter decoration, d'his is a most noble flower, 
when well grown, exijuisite in its white purity and 
delightful in its fragrance. If care is taken to secure 
the best ([uality of bulbs, and they are given the right 
kind of treatment, few plants will fail to bloom well 
in the living-room. I'he smaller bulbs may give but 
one or two flowers, but they will be as perfect as 
those from larger bulbs. I would advise, however, 
the purchase of large-sized bulbs, as a plant having 
SIX, or eight, or ten blossoms is always vastly more 
effective for decorative purposes than the smaller 
ones, and it is no more trouble to grow it. 
If flowers are wanted for Easter, bulbs should be 
procured and potted in September or October. It 
takes about six months to bring a plant into bloom 
under such conditions as ordinarily prevail in the 
average living-room. I'he ideal soil for this plant— 
and for nearly all bulbous plants, for that matter 
is one made up of about equal parts garden loam and 
old, well-rotted cow-manure, with a generous amount 
of coarse sand worked in to insure friability. My 
method of planting this lily is this: 1 first put into 
the pot about an inch of broken crockery or some¬ 
thing similar for drainage. Over this I place a layer 
of sphagnum moss to prevent the soil from washing 
down and closing the crevices in the drainage ma¬ 
terial. Then I put in about four inches of soil. Into 
this 1 press the bulbs, using to each pot as many as 
will cover the surface of the soil. This will be about 
four of the ordinary size to an eight or nine inch pot. 
It does not matter if they touch each other. Then 
1 water them well, and put the pots away in a cool, 
dark place to remain until roots are formed. They 
are left there until top-growth begins, no matter how 
long that may be. As a general thing, however, it 
will be in six or seven weeks. When brought to the 
light, and the stalk begins to stretch up, I fill In about 
It with sod, and keep on doing this, as the stalk elon¬ 
gates, until the pot is full to within an inch of its rim. 
This method of low potting is practiced because this, 
like all other lilies, has two sets of roots, one from the 
base of the bulb, and another from its stalk, imme¬ 
diately above the bulb. By putting the bulb low in the 
pot we provided soil for both sets of roots to develop 
in, which would not be the case if the bulbs were 
planted near the surface. 
Next to the Bermuda lily in desirability as a 
good winter-bloomer I would place the narcissus, 
that flower 
“that conies before the swallow dares 
and takes the winds of March with beauty.” 
We have very few flowers, if any, richer In color 
than such varieties as Trumpet Major, Van Sion, 
Empress and Hersfeldii, all m cloth of gold, or gold 
and creamy white, and Poeticus, or poet’s narcissus, 
pure white with crimson-bordered cup. These, 
with Paper White, a standard old sort, for forcing, 
enable us to brighten the windows of our homes in 
winter with the best representatives of a large family 
of plants which has enjoyed almost as much popu¬ 
larity as the rose. If I were obliged to choose but 
one from the list mentioned, I think I would decide 
on Van Sion, but I would much dislike to go without 
the others, for all are royally beautiful, and each 
variety has some charming peculiarity which the 
others do not have. 
In potting the narcissus, I make use of seven and 
eight inch pots, and crowd as many bulbs Into the 
soil as the pot will accommodate. 
As a general thing, this will give you eight or nine 
bulbs to a pot. I find that by thus massing the 
bulbs, a much stronger show of color is secured than 
where but two or three bulbs are planted in each pot. 
It also economizes space, as well as labor in caring for 
the plants. There are no bad effects resulting from 
close planting, because a soil prepared as heretofore 
advised is amply rich enough to fully develop the flow¬ 
ers from as many bulbs as can be crowded into a pot. 
Third on the list for winter forcing I would place 
the hyacinth. The most satisfactory variety, all 
things considered, is the Roman. This for several 
reasons: It is almost sure to bloom. Each bulb 
will send up several flower-stalks. Its flowers are 
loosely arranged along the stem, giving it a much 
more graceful appearance than those of the ordinary 
variety. It is excellent for cutting. To secure the 
utmost satisfaction from it I put as many as fifteen 
or twenty bulbs in an earthen pan six inches deep 
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