4 FEY ENG CHOU DORA RAMs 

We believe if you treat all your bulbs before planting, by soaking eight to twelve hours in 
a solution of Bichloride of Mercury (Corrosive Sublimate) one ounce to seven gallons of warm 
water (preferable to keep the solution in a fairly warm place early in the season) any thripy 
trouble you may be threatened with is on the way out, (this recommendation is for bulbs with 
their husks on; six to eight hours is sufficient for bulbs which have been peeled.) Use only 
wooden, glass, or crockery containers as a chemical action, weakening the solution, will take 
place in an iron or galvanized vessel. We would do it to any bulbs we planted no matter 
where they come from or whether they had been treated with naphthalene flakes, gas, or low 
temperatures,—all of which kill all thrips. The soaking is too cheap a form of insurance to 
run the risk. You can do no harm to the bulbs with this treatment except to delay blooming 
about ten days. If you are in a climate where the winter temperatures go low enough for the 
ground to stay frozen a few days, we are convinced that when this soaking procedure is fol- 
lowed, your only chance of infestation is from some other planting that has not been properly 
treated and the thrips may come a half mile or more with a strong prevailing wind in a short 
time. It would seem a wise move to play safe and spray them when about six inches high even 
if one does not see any signs of thrips for they are hard to see at this stage. Just a few present 
at this time will make enough later on to do serious damage. The old formula still seems to be 
popular; it is: two tablespoonsful of Arsenate of Lead, two pounds sugar (the cheapest kind 
you can buy) and three gallons of water. In the sections where the weather is often hot and 
the humidity high during the growing season, growers have had some trouble with burning of 
the foliage with this arsenate of lead spray although it does not burn nearly as easily as Paris 
Green. A comparatively new Tarter Emetic spray has been used very successfully in Florida 
and we suggest it be used in place of the arsenate spray. The formula is: Tarter Emetic— 
four pounds, brown sugar—sixteen pounds, to 100 gallons of water. For home gardens use 
three gallons of water, two ounces (four and a half teaspoonfuls) of Tartar Emetic, and a half 
pound of brown sugar. Tartar Emetic is a standard drug also known as Antimony and Potas- 
sium Tartrate U. S. P. Brown sugar is usually cheaper but any sugar is equally effective. We 
think if one keeps all open spikes cut close there will be little damage. The thrips go to 
blooming spikes so if these are cut and removed from the field, any thrips present on the spikes 
where most of them will be, would go out on these spikes. Any tops broken off, or worthless 
spikes, should also be kept cleaned up and removed from the field and destroyed as you then 
remove any thrips that may be present on these spikes. 
When they start to bloom, it is wise to cut them as soon as a bloom or two open and put 
them in water inside where they will continue to open better and safer than in the field. If 
desired for showing, and the show is nearby, cut the spikes as above and hold in as cool a place 
as available until the day of the show. If you must ship or carry the blooms some distance, 
we suggest you pack them flat in boxes. 
Now the fun is over and the work of digging, curing, and cleaning is at hand. Dig the 
bulbs about four to six weeks after blooming or as soon as they show signs of turning brown 
a bit. Cut the tops off close to the bulb and spread out in low boxes to dry; preferably where 
the air can move around them. It will depend on the size of the bulbs and the=drying con- 
ditions on how soon they will be ready to clean; the old bulb should come off easily and be sure 
to destroy all the old bottoms, etc. Now store in a cool dry place. If you use naphthalene 
flakes, we would suggest that you put half a handful on pieces of paper, or small pie plates, in 
the boxes; cover the boxes with paper or, if you can put them in one big pile, cover it all with 
a tight cover of some kind such as a canvas cover or several thicknesses of newspaper and leave 
for a couple of weeks. Uncover, take out the naphthalene flakes, and store for the winter. 
Putting the naphthalene on paper will save taking all the bulbs out to get the naphthalene 
flakes away from the bulbs for we do not like to leave them among the bulbs all winter. Now 
the bulbs should be in good shape until planting time. 

“Red Bank is a typically fine glad,—splendid color—texture good but not coarse. Everyone 
should grow it! Might I add, not an ounce of fertilizer was used in my garden this past 
season.”—Robert Crompton, New Bedford, Mass. 
