Oxford Democrat., 1903-09-15

A great deal OF success In bulb culture
depends on soil and planting. Of course
bulbs will live in almost any kind of soil,
but we should not be satisfied with mere
existence. We must aim to bring about
the fullest possible development, and
this we cannot do unless we give especial
attention to the soil in which we plant
them. The ideal soil for bulbs is one of
sandy loan, naturally drained, but most
soils can be fitted for them with but lit.
tie trouble. If heavy, add sand until
lightness and porosity are obtained.
Simply mix the two together well and
you have q combination in which the
roots of the bulbs can make their way
easily, and from which the over-supply
of moisture peculiar to early spring can
readily run off. 1t is most excellent
plan to provide all bulb beds not natural
ly well drained with artificial drainage.
This can be done by excavating the bed
to the depth of foot and half and
filling in at the bottom of the excavation
with old brick, stones, crockery-any-
thing that will not readily decay and al
low the soil to settle into its old-time
solidity-to the depth of about six
inches. When this is in place, return
the soil taken from the bed, mixing into
it, as you do so, whatever fertilizer you
make use of. The best of all is old,
thoroughly rotted manure from the cow
yard. Nothing else suits bulbs so well.
But if you cannot obtain it, fine bone
meal, which can be procured at any
agricultural store, or from the florists, is
a most excellent substitute. If barn
yard manure is used, quantity equal
to one-third the other soil will not be
too much. If bone-meal is used, apound
and a half to each square yard of soil
will be about right, provided it is work
ed well into the soil to the depth of the
excavation made, which ought not to be
less than eighteen inches. If this
amount were spread on the surface it
would be ''too much of good thing"
1t is important that the soil should be
worked over until it is fine and mellow.
Coarse, lumpy soil will never produce
fine plants. The surface of the bed
should be five or six inches higher than
the ground about it,. that the water from
melting SHOWS and early rains may run
off readily. Let the bed slope evenly in
all directions from its center.
AS general thing the catalogues of
the dealers will be circulated early in
September. AS soon as received, make
your selection of bulbs, and directly
after you have sent away your order, be-
gin to prepare the garden for them, so
that they can be planted as soon as they
are received. Bulbs are often damaged
greatly by allowing them to remain ex-
posed to the air for some time before
planting. The vitality of bulb consists
largely in the moisture contained in its
scales, and if this is allowed to evaporate,
as it will rapidly when exposed to light
and air, your bulb will he so weakened
before planting that it is not in condition
to begin and complete effective work
when put into the soil. Because of this
fact, make ready for your bulbs before
procured, and put them out as soon as
possible after receiving them. If it is
not convenient to do so, keep them in a
cool, dark place until you have the op-
portunity to plant them.
Tulips, hyacinths, and narcissus
should be planted about six inches deep
and from six to eight inches apart. This
may seem to some like close planting,
but it will give you good covering for
your bed-which plants foot apart will
not-and if plenty of nutriment is sup
piled by the soil, you need not fear a
lack of perfect development. The
smaller bulbs should be planted from
four to five inches deep and about the
same distance apart, excepting the very
small ones. These can be set in groups
of five or six, an inch apart.
/ should not advise the amateur
gardener to invest in all kinds of bulbs
the first season unless she has had some
experience in their cultivation. Try
some of the easiest-growing kinds, and
by and by, if warranted in doing 50 by
your success with them, enlarge the
borders of your bulb garden. Most
amateur gardeners are Over-enthusiastic
at the start and undertake too much. Be
wise and undertake only what you can
feel pretty sure of carrying out well,
Keeping in mind the fact that few
flowers well grown are infinitely more
satisfactory than a good many inferior
ones. 1t will be found, too, that few
kinds which respond to ordinary anna.
teur treatment with a satisfactory de-
gree of success, always afford vastly
more pleasure than large number of
sorts which require more careful culture.
Therefore leave the more eXacting kinds
to the future, and begin with those
which will make the least demands upon
your skill.
In planting bulbs do not make the mis-
take of mixing them in the beds; that
is, do not plant tulips, hyacinths and
other varieties together in haphazard
fashion. They do not combine well,
either in habit of growth or color. Give
each kind place by itself, and so far as
possible, keep the colors apart, unless
you are sure there is entire harmony in
their contrast. If it is desired to use
red, blue or pink hyacinths in the same
bed, be sure to separate the colors by
white varieties if you want them to pro-
duce the most pleasant effect on the eye.
A jumble of colOrs is never satisfactory
The same advice applies to the tulip
Of this flower there are several varieties,
early, medium and late, therefore study
your catalogue well before planting.
Before cold weather sets in be sure to
cover your bulbs with litter from the
barnyard, leaves or straw, to the depth
of at least eight inches. This covering
will not keep the frost away from them,
but it will keep the frost in when it has
once penetrated the ground, and by re-
tanning it prevent the frequent alterna-
tion of freezing and thawing, which is
what does the injury to plants. If this
is allowed to take place, the plants will
be torn loose by the expansion of the
soil, their tender roots broken off and
great damage done. Shading the soil
keeps the sun out, and this is what we
aim to protect them from, rather than
from the cold.-New Idea Woman's