In regions having heavy rainfall, excess alkali is usually dissolved and carried away 
by the runoff. Semi-arid regions usually have alkaline soils. Calif. soils usually have too 
much unless cover crops or applications of humus, which are acid, have lowered the pH. 
I am told that Texas soils are sometimes too alkaline. The remedy is obvious. Apply 
humus, ground phosphate rock, or small, even applications of sulphur. Improve the 
drainage. 
Potting Directions. Use clean pots of the right size, neither too large nor too small. A 
24"° Amaryllis, for example, needs a 6” pot. A 144” Eucharis needs a 5” pot. Small 
bulbs like Ranunculus or Achimines may have 3 to 5 in a 5” or 6” pot. Cover the hole 
at bottom with a piece of broken pot, concave side down. Above this place small pieces 
of broken pot and gravel. This helps to drain away excess water. Over this drainage 
material we usually place a handful of sphagnum moss to prevent the soil from sifting 
into and clogging the drainage material. 
The drainage must be perfect and it is essential that the. soil above this drainage be 
of a friable texture that permits water to pass thru freely. 
The best soil is a rich sandy loam with the addition of plenty of humus. For humus 
one can combine rotted leaf mould and old rotted dairy manure well broken up and 
rubbed thru a screen of smallest gauge. For most plants the proportion can be 2% sandy 
loam, 4 humus. 
Fertilizers. Many advise the addition of fertilizer to potting soils. We never use any 
except the rotted dairy manure and leaf mould and sometimes a tablespoon of bone meal. 
If new roots come into contact with much fertilizer they are burned. Commercial fertilizer 
is especially a hazard. A potted dormant bulb, seed or plant must be babied to the extent 
of giving only a light diet. A rich, full meal will often cause failure. We prefer to get 
them well started and growing and of some size before adding more fertilizer, if any. 
The chief food of plants is carbon dioxide taken from the air thru the foliage. Water, 
nitrogen and minerals come from the soil. 
When bulbs are well rooted, liquid fertilizer can be used once a month. Weak liquid 
manure is excellent but not quite as well balanced as Spoonit. 
For the starting temperatures and further culture of the plants please read the culture 
advice given with the listings. 
Sources of Further Information. Please note our Garden Reference Books. Join local 
garden clubs. Subscribe for as many garden magazines as you can. We especially recom- — 
mend Popular Gardening, Dept. H, 90 State St., Albany, N. Y., and Flower Grower, Dept. 
H., 99 N. Broadway, Albany, N. Y. We are charter subscribers of both. I suggest you buy 
copies of each at your newsstand. You will probably then subscribe to both of them. 
GARDEN REFERENCE BOOKS 
Bailey’s Cyclopedia of Horticulture. This 3-vol. set of over 3,600 pages describes 
almost every cultivated plant and has a wealth of culture information. On Orchids alone, 
this work is most valuable for its descriptions and culture instructions for almost every 
orchid in cultivation. The same is true for all types of bulbs, plants, shrubs, or trees. Price 
$40.00. It is the most monumental work in any language on the entire field of Horti- 
culture. It is an ideal gift for a plant lover. On account of increased cost of paper, we expect 
this price to be advanced soon. It is best to order as soon as possible. 
Hortus Second (Bailey). A Concise Dictionary of Gardening. This 778-page volume 
lists and describes nearly every plant offered in catalogs, and some that are not in the 
Cyclopedia of Hort. It contains only a few culture hints. Both works should be in every 
garden library. Price, $8.50. 
The above publications are subject to price changes, without notice, by the publishers. 
In the case that prices again rise on these or any books listed here we will notify the 
customer. The customer may then accept or cancel order. 
A Southern Garden, by Elizabeth Lawrence, a handbook for the Middle South. A 
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