GUIDEBOOK FOR 1943 
Page 31 

If cow manure is not available, you may 
now substitute in addition to the (2-8-10) or 
superphosphate used, about 2 handfuls of 
prepared sheep manure (baked to kill weed 
seeds) per 4 ft. of row before filling in the upper 
half of the trench. 
Pack the soil a bit (carefully if the bulbs 
are sprouted) to assist in rapid capillary 
attraction and speedy growth. If soil is 
very dry at planting time, drench with water 
heavily, to penetrate six inches. Thereafter, . 
until time when flower buds can be felt in the 
stalks, use water very sparingly. Of course, 
if little or no rains for 15 or 20 day periods 
drench again and keep the plants well weeded 
and cultivated. 
During the bud to bloom stage is the one 
time it is desirable to keep the ground definite- 
ly on the wet side. Next to impossible in 
well drained location to get it too wet at this 
stage. Naturally, if the soil be wet and soft 
and high winds come, some tall and heavy 
plants may go over, bulb tilting in the soil and 
tearing roots, if permitted. We consider it 
advisable to use some method of staking if 
the soil is kept extremely wet at this stage. 
We use some 6 ft. steel stakes, 3 inch dia- 
meter and rubber bands. The stakes are incon- 
spicuous and if blooms are cut can be readily 
moved to other spikes throughout the season. 
After the peak of bloom season, if weather 
becomes extremely hot and there appears 
any tendency of the stems to soften somewhat, 
this extra watering may be concluded and 
very shallow cultivation continued through 
the balance of the blooming season if you can 
still get in among the plants to do so. 
Whatever general fertilizing method may 
be used, a ‘“‘shot in the arm’’ type may be 
used on a few or all plants just as the early 
buds begin to form in the stalks. Use a 
handful of dried blood meal for about 5 to 10 
plants or a handful of ammonium sulphate 
to about 10 to 15 plants, scratching it in 
several inches away from the plants. Soak 
the ground heavily the day before so that the 
plant will be saturated and in strong growing 
condition, thus withstanding a shock which 
might otherwise burn off the rootlets, turn the 
foliage yellow and stop further growth. This 
will increase the size of the florets and the 
length of the spike. 
Above formulas are maximum. Many 
would consider them extreme. We do not 
remotely approach these extremes ourselves as 
our aim is a bulb crop and the blooms inci- 
dental. But a large number of our customers 
have used these methods with highly gratify- 
ing results. 
Purely for commercial bulb production we 
recommend use of 2-8-10 or better still 3-9-18 
applied about 1000 lbs. per acre, disced in 
just before planting or otherwise applied in 
manner to safeguard the bulbs from actual 
contact with the material. 
Particularly in hot weather, spikes which 
are cut when but one or two florets are open, 
fill out with more open at a time when bloom- 
ed indoors in the light but not sunlight, away 
from any breeze, making better exhibition 
spikes and preventing any fading of colors such 
as is sometimes found in some of the finest 
orange scarlets, as well as preventing wilting 
of varieties without strong substance. Cut 
stem slantwise to provide larger drinking area 
and place in water at once to avoid air pockets 
in stem. Allow three or four leaves to remain 
on the plant to mature the new bulb which is 
hardly half grown when spike is cut. At least 
six more weeks are needed to mature the bulb, ~ 
except where blooms are from large bulbs of 
very late sorts, or where blooms arrive at 
late season from young planting stock. 
BULBLETS 
The little hard shelled bulblets will not 
germinate until moisture reaches them. There- 
fore, it pays to keep them on the moist, 
almost continuously wet side to rot the shell 
until they begin to appear. Bulblets in quan- 
tity may be bagged, kept moist by occasional 
immersion in warm water and in a warm 
place, for a week or so, to hasten the shell 
rotting process. If some start rooting, plant 
all. If expensive bulblets in small lots, you 
may chip off a fragment of the shell with 
point of a small pocket knife, using care not 
to injure eye or root base. Plant early, as 
soon as ground warms in spring. 
DONT’S ON DIGGING 
Do not leave part of stem on bulb, cut 
close and burn the tops. 
Do not leave bulbs to dry where frosts can 
reach. 
Do not pile deeply. Quick drying (not in 
hot sunlight) is extremely important. to pre- 
vent spread of diseases in storage. 
Do not remove roots and old bulb for some 
weeks unless old bulb is soft or shows decay. 
Wait until they separate with ease and 
without tearing the new root base. This 
waiting period is the most desirable time for 
sprinkling your bulbs lightly with napthalene 
flakes. See paragraph on that subject. 
BULB SURGERY 
A few specks of disease spots, wire worm 
injury or scab may be gouged out without the 
slightest harm to the plant provided the 
bulb retains a good eye and _ root base. 
Cutting out these segments only cuts away 
that much food to start off the new plant. 
Best dust the cut surface with powdered 
charcoal. Next best common sulphur or at 
least dry until bleeding stops before planting. 
Or wipe the cut surface dry with some pa- 
per towelling and then paint well with melted 
paraffin. } 
You may do these things any time during 
the storage period, too, or just rely on corros- 
ive sublimate treatment to clear them up. 
