

GUIDEBOOK FOR 1946 
Page 31 

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 
feachs- 
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. 
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. 
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. 
A plump bulb of 144 inches diameter has 
plenty food to start production of a show 
specimen spike. If the bulb is 2 inches or 
more in diameter it may have two or more 
prominent eyes or sprouts, indicating that 
it will make as many stalks and spikes. Now 
this one bulb cannot be expected to make two 
or more spikes of the same show specimen 
quality it would produce if held to a single 
eye and spike. If you want to bring renewed 
youth and vigor to your old jumbo bulbs and 
beat the other fellow, just disbud the bulb, 
i.e., gouge out all eyes except the most prom- 
inent one, just as you gouged out the little 
specks of scab or disease, dusting as before. 
We are of opinion that bulbs may be lost by 
this process only by failure to heal the cut 
surface sufficiently before planting. 
CORROSIVE SUBLIMATE 
Also known as mercuric chloride treatment. 
This produces such wonderful results, 
with so little effort, with so little cost, 
that no one, whether he grows a bed of 
glads four foot square or four acres, 
should fail to so treat his bulbs. Re- 
gardless of where or how the bulbs grew the 
preceding year. This gives the bulb a coat- 
ing that wards off various bulb diseases 
and fungus attacks. We used to keep our 
bulbs healthy by this process long before we 
ever heard of thrips. Now, it has been con- 
clusively proved, this treatment also kills any 
thrips and their eggs, and, if used, you only 
need keep a watchful eye for thrips infestation 
from outside sources. Remember soaking pro- 
cesses are only advisable just before planting. 
This is not a fall treatment. If your bulbs are 
husked, they need only be soaked half as long, 
but we do not advise husking unless you 
know your bulbs are infested badly and you 
wish to take no chances on penetration to the 
bulb. Many have inquired if the treatment is 
safe to use on badly sprouted or rooted bulbs. 
This will not harm them. 
We have never discovered that any benefits 
may be had from soaking bulblets in this 
solution. 
We read an article in a Canadian ‘“‘quarter- 
ly’? by someone who called himself ‘‘I Dip- 
pem,”’ who said he had a lot of little batches. 
_To keep them separate he obtained some of 
the women folks’ old stockings, slipped a 
batch into a toe with wooden label, tied the 
stocking above the batch and so proceeded 
until all the batches were conveniently ready 
to soak, remove and drain. 
Note Important Revision of formula by 
U. S. Dept. Ent. to allow additional time for 
penetration of stubbornly tight husks. 
Dissolve 1 oz of the powder first in a bit of 
hot water, then pour into 7 gal. of water, pre- 
ferably above 60 degrees. Remember, cold 
water may render the treatment ineffective. 
This must be poured into a non-metal con- 
tainer, such as a crock, wooden pail, glass or 
unchipped granite ware. Varieties kept sep- 
arate in cloth bags. No difference if bulbs are 
then planted wet or dry, but the sooner the 
better as much of the coating may be lost if 
bulbs become dry. Solution weakens with 
use, so replenish 100% if used again. Soak 8 
to 17 hours, preferably night before planting. 
Be sure bags are fully immersed. Do not use 
this substance in tablet form unless you learn 
exactly how much of the tablet, in weight, is 
actua!ly corrosive sublimate. You want a 
final solution of about 1-1000. This solution 
is safe to the hands but is a deadly poison and 
must be used and disposed of with extreme 
care. 
Suggest you dilute the solution about four 
to one and pour it about vour iris, delphinium 
or perennials or on any brown spots on your 
lawn. 
