



Kellogg’s Famous Flowers 

soil, then freezing causes it to expand and heave upward as 
shown. If this process is repeated several times, the tender 
feeding roots are torn as shown in the drawing, and the 
damage is fatal. Further damage is caused by the formation 
of air spaces, as shown in the illustration on page 11, and 
cracks often go to the surface of the ground, letting more air 
in. These cracks are also shown in the illustration. 
Often bulbs will heave completely out of the ground by 
continued freezing and thawing. Mulching prevents these 
severe alternations of temperature, hence stops heaving. 
Best materials: straw or coarse stable manure. Leaves can be 
used, but do not use too many as they pack closely, and may 
smother the bulb. 
The best way to use leaves is to first lay down a network of 
twigs to prevent the leaves from packing, but if you can get 
the other materials, such as wheat, rye or oat straw, do use 
them instead. Marsh hay is also excellent. 
The ground should be kept frozen, therefore mulch after the 
first freeze. Many people believe that mulching is done to 
prevent freezing, but the opposite is true. Mulch to keep 
the ground frozen. Freezing does the bulbs no damage; it is 
torn roots that cause winter injury. Usually only a light 
mulch is needed. Do not remove too soon in the spring. 
IMPORTANT! Avoid mulching with stable manure for 
Narcissi. They usually die from it. It is good for Tulips and 
Hyacinths, but keep it away from the growing leaves. Pull 
it back in the spring, as soon as leaves appear, or rake off 
entirely to prevent any chance of injury. 
Cutting and Picking Flowers 
M any flower gardeners are torn between two desires: one, 
to have flowers in the garden; and two, to have them 
for house bouquets. Naturally, the flowers that are cut and 
brought inside are not in the garden, but still cutting really 
is a benefit to the bulbs when properly done. Reason: Much 
strength is lost from the bulb if flowers are allowed to re- 
main, especially if they are allowed to produce pollen and 
seeds. Z 
HOW TO CUT 
FOR BOUQUETS 
Note the position 
of the scissors 
ABOVE the foliage. 
Cutting the foliage is 
injurious; cutting as 
shown is beneficial. 
You should have cut- 
flower bouquets. 

Cut flowers properly, as shown above, and you will have 
more and better flowers the following year. Let the flowers 
remain after they are past prime, and bulbs are weakened, 
with consequent loss of vitality and quantity of blooms the 
succeeding season. 

And How To Grow Them 

Preparing For Next Year’s Blooms 
E ven if you do not want bouquets from your Tulips, Hy- 
acinths and Narcissi, you should cut them as soon as they 
have passed prime condition, and before seeds or pollen form, 
leaving the leaves untouched. Or, simply snap the bloom 
heads off with your fingers. There is no harder work for a 
plant than the production of pollen and seed, nothing more 
debilitating. Let past prime flowers remain, and you are due 
for disappointment a year later. Remove them, and your 
chances for a beautiful garden of second year’s blooms are 
excellent. 
Next, let the leaves die down, then remove them too, but 
not before. Follow the above instructions properly, and 
usually you will have several years’ blooming from your 
bulbs. 

ZEISS 
a Bg FE 
LAST YEAR "| 
WRONG—RIGHT 
A B & A B E 
The drawing above shows right and wrong methods of cut- 
ting, and the results of both methods a year later. 


Moving Bulbs 
t times bulbs must be taken up, divided, and replanted. 
BUT—with good bulbs, properly planted, once every 
three years is usually enough. 
Leave the bulbs in the ground just as long as they produce 
satisfactorily. But, as soon as blooms become small and in- 
ferior, take them up, divide them, and store until the fol- 
lowing fall. ) 
Immediately after digging bulbs, get them out of the sun 
and wind, then store in a cool, dry place, preferably dark, 
where they will “cure” and be ready for planting in the fall. 

In laying bulbs out for curing, use shallow receptacles, pre- 
ferably ventilated from the bottom as well as from the top. 
(Continued on page 15) 
[12] 
