The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1905-11-18
Home Circle
k(Continued from Fifth payel


1T. This is easily done by pressing stick
down edgeways.
Ihe prevailing colors, reds, blues and
whites, should be mingled in the ued,
The rare yellow bulbs being counted as
whites. The object of this mingline is
two'fold. 1t not only adds to the beauty
OF the bed when in bloom, but secures
Selihybrids, and consequently, seeds for
new varieties. In setting the roots each
one should be surrounded by little "a
the fresh sandy soil, to prevent the
richer earth from at first adnering too
CLOSELY To them. They should be planted
deeply, not less than three or four inches.
according to the size OF the bulb. A COW
erlhg should he Ut hand to protect the
bed from any unusually heavy frost.
Dead leaves VI dry grass will answer
The purpose.
In March, or the beginning of April,
the plants will begin to show their now.
ers' These early birds will need some
shelter from the fail rays OF the sun,
lor II TOO much sunlight falls ON them,
especially on the reds and blues, it will
Dlacken and tarnish their colors. Proper
shading Will also tend to keep back
The TOO early bulbs, so that they will
come into full bloom later on, with the
balance OF the bed. The stems will need
support, and small sticks or wires will
give 1t. Place them closely behind the
DuiDs ana tie the stem loosely with soft
material, like yarn or double zephvr.
This need not be done until the plants
begin To bend and show that they are
IN danger Of breaking with the weight
OF their blooms. AS the stems grow
taller the sticks may have to be replaced
accordingly. When the bulk of the hva.
clnths are in full bloom, covering or
awning should be stretched over the bed
during the heat Of the day, and also
when there is strong wind or heavy
rain. The cover need not be expensive;
burlap, from feed bags, or common
cheesecloth, will answer the purpose az
well as anything else. The cover must
not be waterproof, and ought to be 80
arranged that it can be slipped back or
opened up to admit plenty of air and
the tempered warmth of the sun ON
partly cloudy days and in the early
mornings and evenings. 1t is the strong
midday sun that must be guarded
against.
After the bloom is over, the dryer
the bulbs are kept the better. The avn.
ing shelter, although 30 necessary at
times, has tendency to weaken the
bulbs. Therefore it should not be con-
tinued for more than ten days or two
weeks after the bulbs are done bloom.
ing, or, in fact, after they begin to de-
cline. Then the bulbs will be all the
better for full exposure to the rays
OF the sun. And after thisf Well, then
we cannot do better than follow the
methods of the Holland grower, who has
centuries of experience behind him.
In three or four weeks after the bloom
is over the plants begin to assume a
crestfallen, rattles appearance, as though
weary of well.doing. This is the signal
for action. Take them up and cut off
the stems and foliage within half an
inch of the bulb, leaving the fbers at
tached to it. Then lay the bulbs again
on the bed, sideways, with their points
to the north, and cover them half an
inch deep with dry earth or sand. Leave
them this way for three weeks, to dry
and ripen gradually. Shelter the bed
from the full rays of the sun and from
heavy rains, but let the air circulate
freely beneath the cover. At the end of
the three weeks take up the bulbs and
rub the fibeIs gently, until they are all
off. Then put the bulbs in dry room
for few days, then clean off any soil
that may be still adhering, together with
such offsets as may have formed, and
can be easily parted from their parent.
When this dressing, as it is called, is
cnmnleted wran each bulb in q sennrnte