The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-11-22
BULBS
For Winter Towering Must
Be GIven Time TO
Develop The Ruots


really successful In water alone; all
may be grown in soil and soil substi.
tutes. Though the Dutch hyacinth oc.
casionally produces good spike of
bloom when grown in hyaclnth glass
with nothing but water, It is not sure
enough to be worthy of general recon.
mendation. The only bulb that is prac.
tically always successful when grown
In water is the Chinese sacred lily,
though some other members of the
narcissus group to which the sacred
lily belongs and also some of the Cane
bulbs are fairly successful when grown
In this way.
When bulbs are to be grown in water
1t Is important that good root devel.
Opment should be secured before any
attempt whatever Is made to force the
bulb to produce its blossoms. Develop
ment Of roots takes from four TO ten
weeks, depending upon the species of
bulb and to some extent on the temper.
ature and the freshness of the air by
which the bulbs are surrounded. In
the ordinary bulb glasses the roots
should reach to the bottom and become
more or less thick mass before the
glasses are removed to towering quar-
tiers. Until this time the glasses should
be kept In cool, airy place, not neces-
sarily In the dark, but not in full light.
They should not be kept, as they often
are. In an unventilated cupboard or
closet or in a dark, il-ventilated Gel.
lar The fresher the air the better
A temperature of about so degrees
Will be satisfactory during this period
OF development. At all times the glass
es should be kept fun of water. It is a
good pan to empty out the water once
a week and to replace with fresh. 1t
IL also desirable to add few drops OF
ammonia to the fresh water and a few
small chunks of charcoal.
|. After the roots have developed the
glasses may be brought into a light,
airy room where the temperature is
so to 10 degrees. Until after the bios.
SONS have faded the same care as to
the water should be continued. There
is no use in keeping the bulbs after
they have blossomed. because their
forcing will have reduced their vitality
and they cannot be brought back to
productive vigor again without too
much outlay Of time and labor. There
fore new bulbs should be purchased
for each winters blooming.
With soil in which to grow bulbs and
with q soil substitute the list of spe.
cies Of bulbs that can be grown at once
becomes considerable. There are al.
most innumerable varieties Of narcis.
sus. tulips, hyacinths, both Dutch and
Roman. lilies, sparaxis, 0xalis, all Of
the Cape bulbs and many others des
cribed In the catalogues to choose
amoug.
Perhaps the best of soil substitute
is made Of equal parts of sand and
moss, preferably sphagfum, which may
be secured from the florists or seeG
men. To this should also be added 9
small quantity of charcoal, broken II
little pieces. to keep the mixture sweet
The bulbs should be covered full depti
in this mixture, which should be prev
iously thoroughly wetted, but not b,
SO wet that water will squeeze out o
1t when a handful is grasped firmly
They should not touch one another
either in this mixture or in actua
soil.
Soil for bulbs need not be very rich
, because the bulbs already contain foo'
stored in their tissues. However, It Il
desirable to have some plant food II
the soil, so as to supplement the foo'
which the bulbs have stored up TO
flower development
Most amateur gardeners grow thei
bulbs In pots simply because these cal
usually be secured by using bull
J, 'pans," as the shallow pottery tray
, are popularity called. Besides afford
= ing ideal conditions for the growtl
of roots, these pans are general!
Q much more convenient than pots whel
. taken to the winter window or place.
> upon the table.
The bulbs should be placed ful
depth in the soil and spaced according
= to their, kind, small growing species
? such a. oxalis. freesia and crocus be
3 ing placed not less than two .inche
+, apart, and large kinds such as daffodil
d tulips and, ,narcissus four 70 six inche
Q apart. A good rule after planting. ca
}, pecially the large species such as lilies
g is to sink the bulbs In the soil three
l. times AZ deep as they are in diameter
and smaller bulbs one and a half times
t When bulbs are planted in soil a
4 just described they should be KEEP
| f,.n,,& &hn Ight lon rar than thna