The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1910-03-10
.G|klS GROW BULBS
Young Women from Puget Sound
Make Money in Flowers.

40 to Boston from Washington state
for Education After Getting
Capital from Their Home
Industry.
Boston.-"My sister and 1 earned
the money to come east to school by
growing bulbs for profit" a girl from
the state of Washington explained to q
friend the other day. I'VE live in the
Puget Sound district, which is said to
produce the finest bulbs in the world.
Sister and I have been in the busi-
ness ever since We were ten or twelve.
Father gave us a small lot in the vege-
eaple garden, telling US that we could
nave all the money we could make out
OF II. Mother advised us to plant gladi1
OIL and daffodils. Being fond Of flow
era, we worked very hard every after
noon after school hours. Our first
years earnings were enough to return
the money advanced to us to buy bulbs
and we had five dollars besides to
start a bank account. ,
This money was all gained from
the gladioli, as it takes them only one
year to make good bulbs. AS daffodils
only have to be replanted every three
years our second spring was devoted
to enlargtng u gladiolus bed. For
this we used the increase or spawn
nom our own bulbs and those we had
sold. There Is always a lot Of this
spawn with gladiolus bulbs. This is
n of the points that make growing
these bulbs so profitable.
L, THE third spring we further en-,
larged OF space by planting a bed I'M
tulips. Even then we used the raised
bed method. Father had stipulated
that we were to do all the work with.
our W hands. and for that reason
the raised bed method of planting was
chosen. In the iiat method usually a
plow is employed at least for the pur1
pose of breaking the ground, and
sometimes in making burrows in which
to set the bulbs.
While the gladiolus bulb is easily.
raised and cures readily, my father
would not allow us to increase our bed
until the last two years. This was be-
cause there was so much demand for
other bulbs.
we plant all our bulbs in raised
beds 10 feet wide. While this requires
all the work to be done by hand, at the
same time 1t has the advantage of Civ
ing better drainage and the beds are
not trampled. In planting bulbs we use
a heavy dibble with a crossbar six
inches from the lower end. This,
orossbar is to insure the bulbs all be-,
Ing planted at the same depth.
my sister and l have planted as
many as 5000 bulbs in one day, and
without working ourselves to death. I
mean that we didn't find it too much
for our comfort, as we were able to do
as well the next day. There are be-
tween 10000 and $4,000 bulbs to an
acre, so you e how long 1t requires
to plant an acre at the rate of 5000
a day.
AT present our bulb farm covers
Just two acres of land. The outlay
away back In the beginning-ten years
ago-Was less than $40 invested in
gladiolus and daffodil bulbs, tools and
two pairs of heavy garden shoes. To.
day we could easily get $4,000 for u
crop as It stands in the field.
Our tulips bring US in the most
money at present. Here 1 understand
q tulip six OF eight inches high is con.
sidered fine. We often have them 30
inches tall. with five and six perfect
blooms. Many of the bulbs which we
gather measure three inches and over
In diameter. This is much larger than
the Holland bulbs and they produce
proportlonately larger blooms. The in.
crease OF one bulb often comes up to
IL new bulbs. not tiny ones, either.
Another source of income from our
bulbs Is the cut flowers. These we sell
BY contract, just as we do our bulbs.
The lowers are cut, sorted and de-
nvered SO as to meet specified trains
stopping at our local station.
When we are at home we do all
this work with the assistance of u
younger brother and sister. We a
"S 3N"0 "o60b lucy WOUlu OOU.
mand elsewhere. While we are here
studying they have entire charge of
the farm and pay US a certain per cent.
Of the profits made.
1T Is hard for the people in this part
OF the country to understand the diff
ference there is between the two sec
lions. With US cabbage and lettuce
grow out Of doors the entire winter.
our ground never gets hard and dry.j
as 1t does here. and the heat even dur
ing the hottest days in the summer ia
never oppressive. The growing period.
for bulbs with us extends from Octo-
Der to July. when the growth IL
checked. and for two months they
ripen."
Tities for the Deposed Shah.