The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-12-19
Bulbs for Winter Blooming.
By BEATRICE CAREY.

ing. The safest investment for the mex.
perienced amateur is the big narcissus
bulb, usually known as the Chinese sa.
cred lily. The bulb Is cheap, comes read
fly into bloom and IL placed in a sunny
window will produce its spikes of fra
grant flowers with great certainty. As q
house plant II has the drawback that it,
foliage looks too much like spring leeki
to be ornamental. The way to get around
that is TO grow them in a mass. Three OF
four bulbs should be grown together In
japanese bowl or other receptacle that
will have an ornamental effect. No earth
Will be needed but the bulbs should be
covered with pebbles or coarse sand tc
keep them from tipping over under the
weight OF the foliage they will throw up,
and then the receptacle should be kept filled
with water. 1t Is always well to keep
the bulbs In cool. dark place for two
or three weeks until root growth Is well
established before they are brought into
the light to bloom. / have often left my
bulbs to sprout In the dark. so that when
I brought them out the shoots were as
white as potatoes that have sprouted 10
cellar, but they color up promptly
when brought into the light.
Another bulb that is easy to handle
and which produces delicious clumps of
fragrant blooms is the Paper White Mar.
cissus grandflors. They too only need
water. warmth and light to come into
bloom, but 10 practice IL is better TO pot
them in sandy soil, putting several
bulbs to a pot. They can be placed SO
close that they will nearly or even quite
touch. Keep them In a dark. cool place
until they have made root growth and
then bring them into the light 1t is
good way TO leave them in the dark until
the sprouts nre we'll mp above the soil.
Another point to keep well In mind Is
that too much warmth is dangerous. The
best results are obtained by keeping the
growing bulbs 10 a cool place. Provided
that frost is kept out IL can hardly be
too cool When the flower spikes are well
up aud are ready to open an atmosphere
as warm as the ordinary living room In
winter will be proper. Most Of Us are In
the habit of keeping our rooms too warm
and II we accustomed ourselves TO tenn
peratures In which green house flowers
would be happy Il would be better for US.
For a trial trip IN bulb growing in the
house, the amateur would do well to be
content with the two bulbs that have
been named. They are sure producers.
and will give satisfaction under condi-
tions IN which tulips and hyacinths would
fail. And yet the latter VIII respond TO
the seame treatment II care u taken 20
get good plump bulbs that will force
easily. The florists catalogues may be
depended upon TO indicate the right varie-
ties. A point that needs attention Is the
disposition Of the spikes from these bulbs
10 stick fast Just as they push out. The
way to guard against this Is 20 invert an
empty flower pot over the growing bulb
80 that II will have TO stretch its neck
20 reach the light. OR. instead Of the
Gvwc7 pots, cones OF paste board may be
used. Hyacinth growing In glasses made
for that special purpose Is well known
and the process Is successful n given
strict attention. but single spikes OF
bloom obtained In this way have rather q
forcrp aspect 10 me. I like 10 get win.
ter flowers In bunches and I get them
easily from narchsus In the wsy d.
scribed above.