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Show f THE CARE OF BULBS " FOR WINTER BLOOMING CooX Cellar Required for Rootlnsr Uso Loamy Garden Soli In PI ci nt! ntf In tho Pots. . Hulbs may bo briefly described as fleshy underground buds from which roots develop In autumn and leaves nnd flowerB later on. Most of thctn Hyacinth Dulb Planted at Proper Depth. nro grown In Holland, nnd hence nro known as Dutch bulbs, although they aro now being grown commercially In England, Irolnnd nnd tho United 8tatcs. Knowing that the flowers aro already formed In tho bulbs before they nro planted It can bd easily un-tlerstood un-tlerstood that largo and well dovolopcd bulbs nro likely to glvo bettor flowers than smnll onos. Tho necessary food nnd energy nrc storod up In tho bulb, ready to bo used when tho right conditions con-ditions nro brought nbout. Tboeo conditions con-ditions nro moisture and cooIiiphs to produce roots and then sunshluo nnd heat to develop tho leaves nnd flow-th. flow-th. While tho bulh ioi, no doubt, take up plant food from tho soli when rorecd, roots unit moisture are of fnr greater Imixirtnnco. A soil should first of nil bv porous so thut nlr Is ndmltted freely to tho roots; n soil which becomes compact Is tho poorest kind. It should also retain water fairly fair-ly well and for this reason It Ik well Well Rooted Ready to Be Brought to the Light for Forcing. to havo somo humu's, which Is supplied sup-plied by rotted leaves, rotted manure or rotted spd. Good loamy garden soil Is qulto satisfactory, without tho addition of any fertilizer, but It it la a soil that becomes compact) It Is ad-vlsnblo ad-vlsnblo to add n llttlo coarse sand to make It moro porous. Hulbs should be planted not later than tho mlddlo of October, ns thoy will rcqulro six weeks to two months to fill the pot with roots. Hyacinths succeed best In live-Inch pots, or tt pans aro usod several hulbs may b planted In ono pan. First put several pieces of broken pot or charcoal In tho bottom of tho pot for drainage, fill tho pot with soil nnd shnko tt down by striking tho bottom of tho pot against something. Avoid pressing down U10 soil before planting, ns In that way tho roots will forco tho bulb out of tho pot when they start to grow. Have the upper side of tho bulh on a level with the surfneo ot tho soil and within half an Inch of thu top of tho pbL Ono watering Is sulllclcnt where pots can bo put In n cool moist placo, but they roqulto watering onco u week ill Potted Dulbs Stored Under Leaves or In. Dark Cellar While Forming Roots. or oftener If thoy nro kept In a drj cellar. When rooting; the bulbs should bo kept In n dark place between 35 and 45 degrees It possible. It kept In a high tompernturo, growth of leaves begins before thero Is good root development The pot should be nearly full of roots beforo tho bulbs, aro brought upstairs. up-stairs. To find out If they nro sufficiently suffi-ciently rooted, turn tho pot upside down nnd tap gently. The bulbs will turn out without nny dlfllculty and If roots aro showing around the outsldo they nre ready to bo tnken up Into a room where tho temperature Is not much nbovo 50 degrees. Sunshlno and careful application of water aro esson-tlal esson-tlal during the forcing process. From "Dulb Culture for the Amateur," by W. T. Maconn and It. D. Whyto. |