Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-08-23
CROCUs CULTURE.
Some Good Points for Amateur Garden
ers to Note.

Some Good Points for Amateur Garden
ers to Note.
The following communication will be OF
interest to great many readers who take
pride in identifying the surroundings of
their homes by cultiyating flowers. Many
fail in their endesvors from lack of knowl-
edge of the requirements of plants, and
will be glad 10 receive reliable information
on the subject:
EDS. RECORD UNION: have been asked
so often within the last few weeks by
parties visiting the Bell Conservatory
When is the proper time to plant
crocus bulbs p that thought it might be
for the benefit of many of your readers and
our patrons to write a paper on the subject
There is nothing succeeds like success" is
an old yet true saying. On the other hand,
there is nothing fails like failure. If people
knew more about when TO SOW seeds and
plant bulbs, when TO give and when to
withhold water, much more pleasure and
profit would be gained by amateur gar
dening. From the month of October to
February is the best time to plant crocus,
andin fact all small Towering bulbs, such as
hyacinths, tulips, nercissus, jonQuils, etc.
| To keep up @ succession throughout the
winter and spring, it is best 10 plant q few
every month from the times stated above.
Intending purchasers ought to send in their
orders at once to the seeds and nurserymen.
This will help to facilitate the forward
ing of packets in time to allow the buyers
to plant early il required and give time to
look over their purchase. Moreover,
orders sent in early are filled early, and
generally with the best stock. People
blame nurserymen for delaying sending on
orders, all forgetful of the fact that hun
dreds of others have sent in orders about
the same time. Always order early, is my
advice to all who would wish to have their
stock on hand early.
Parties who keep their cid bulbs should
lift and divide them up every two years or
so. Old bulbs or eorms, as they are scien-
tificaiiy called) after Towering die; but one
or more young bulbs appear either at the
top or sides of the decaying parents.
These should be lifted once i'll every two
years the smaller ones planted by them
selves and the larger ones handled in the
same manner. These should be planted
from four to six inches under the surface
and from three TO four inches apart. Any
common garden soil will suffice. If fine
flowers are more of consideration than
economy il is more satisfactory to get new
bulbs every year, as most of the small
Towering bulbs are imported from Hol-
land. The climate and soil there is more
congenial for the full development of the
bulbs. Any soil may flower the bulbs, but
it is only certain soils that can develop
them Even the English nurserymen have
to get their bulbs from Holland. Snails
Tor as gardeners call them, ''slugs) are
very partial to the crocus and often ruin
whole batches of them. When the slug
appears water the grounds with lime water.
Ii will Kill the snail, but will not damage
the bulbs, unless it is very thick and
strong Sometimes the bulbs are attacked
by disease much like a fungus. The
bulb gets soft and starchy. All that can be
done with this is TO pick out the soft bulbs
as soon as noticed, before the healthy ones
catch the infection. For pot culture take
| fiye-inch pots, if any, or light boxes will
do as well if parties do not wish TO buy
pots. Fill the five-inch pots (this size is
deep enough) to within two inches of the
rim. But before putting in the soil put in
some broken pots or pebbles over the drain
hole in the pot (if boxes, make some holes
in the box and do as directed with the
! potsl, say about and inch or more, as moth
| ing spoils plants of any kind quicker than
poor drainage. Once the drainage in fill
the pot to within two inches of the top.
PlaIt the bulbs say four or five, three or
| IOuI lI6 SlCSS anu OuS III Tie CSuleI.
| This done, cover the bulbs, pressing the
soil firm upon the bulbs mot too hard, but
firml so that the bulbs may be at least
two inches covered with soil. Leave about
| half inch or so for water. Place the pots
any where out of the way and cover them
over with about six inches OF soil or ashes
or sand. This keeps the bulbs from rising
out OF the pot as they make root. When
the plants have made their roots they will
begin to shoot upwards. Look at the pot
about four weeks or so after covering.
Some shoot up earlier than others. The
soil will have to be taken off and the plants
brought to light. All the water the bulbs
will require from the time they are potted
until they begin to shoot up is one good
watering after potting.
| Crocuses do not require very much water
although they will grow like hyacinth in
bottles or glasses. One great mistake most
amateurs make in their treatment of plants
in pots is this: They give what gardeners
call "a surface watering. That is damp OF
wet the top while the lower part Of the
soil may be quite dry. Again they will
have the plant continually wet. It is good
for plant to get dry once in while, il
he ps to sweeten the soil, Just as it is gooC
sweeten the food. When plant gets dry
in pot the best way to water it is this
Take the pot and hold it in a bucket o
wider for few moments; see that the rim
is covered. When the crocus in pots come
into flower shade them little from thl
sun and they will last much longer.
Varieties-There are so many kinds o
crocus in cultivation, and so many of then
good that it would be out of place i'll thi
paper to begin to name them. If there i
any particular kind you may wish, nam
it il your order TO the scotsman. Or get
list from him Of the kinds he has got AM
then send. II there is no kind in particu
lar asked for he will send mixed kinds
which generally give satisfaction if goo,
bulbs. HUGH MCGOWAN.
Sacramento, August 20, 1885.