Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-11-04

| Washington, Nov. 3.-Tulip bulbs
that are expected to brighten the dawn
in the early spring must be planted in
| the late fall after heavy frosts or light
! freezes have checked vegetation. On
the fortieth parallel they should be
| planted about the first week in Novem-
Der, and farther south a little later.
| These plants are adapted to out-of-
| door culture in all parts of the Unit
| ed States where the weather is cold
| enough to freeze the soil for a few
weeks in the winter and they should
| be planted about ii month before the
gorund is liable to freeze up. Other
| Holland bulbs" such as the hyacinth
and narcissus should be planted at the
same time as the tulip.
The United States department of ag-
riculture's specialist considers that
tulips are most appropriately planted
| among shrubbery where they may be
naturalized or where they may remain
permanently. In general they are used
to advantage in formal beds or in Dor
ders on the lawn.
The best soil for the tulip is light
loamy soil. The soil should be well
drained and sand is better than clay.
In clay soils it is desirable to set the
bulbs on a layer of sand, to insure
drainage. while in very heavy soils the
sand should completely surround them
They do best in rich soil but ma
nure should not come in contect with
the bulbs. 1t is best applied to a pre-
yious crop. When fertilization is nee
essary at the time of planting, we'll
rotted manure compost should be used.
The soil should be put in excellent
condition.
Tulips should be set four inches deep
while hyacinths and narcissi should be
set six inches, in all cases measuring
to the bottom of the bulbs. Care
should be taken to have the bulbs of
any variety of uniform size and to
set them at a uniform depth as on
this depends uniformity in time of
blooming.
AS soon as the surface of the ground
freezes to a depth of two or three
inches, the bed should be covered with
coarse manure to prevent alternate
freezing and thawing and also to pre-
vent freezing below the bottom of the
bulbs and so prevent the formation of
roots during the winter. AS soon as
freezing weather is over in the spring
the mulch should be removed, at least
| the coarser part of it.
After blooming, the naturalized
paintings need no further attention
except when replanting becomes nee
! essary, which in the case of tulips
| would be in about three years, and
of the other bulbs about five. Bedded
bulbs should be left as long as pos
sible before digging, so as to ripen
them. They are ready when the foliage
begins to die. If necessary to dig be-
fore ripe they will deteriorate more
rapidly than if well ripeneo. After
digging, dry in the sun until the tops
are well cured, take off all the leaves,
store on shallow trays, where mice and
rats will not trouble, till the follow
| ing autumn. On
Bulbs May Be Raised Indoors.
Not only are tulips and other bulb
Gus plants attractive around the lawn
in early spring but they are also most
satisfactory for indoor culture during
the winter. They should be used in
separate pots rather than IN window
boxes. Holland bulbs, such as the
narcissus, tulip, and hyacinth, are
practically the only plants that will
flower satisfactorily in the house with
ordinary care. About the only plant
giving similar satisfaction is the be-
gonia, according to the Department of
Agriculture's specialist who has ex-
perimentcd with many varieties.
The essentials for growing bulbs in
doors are that they shall become thor
oughly rooted before the tops are per-
mitted to grow. This is done by plant
| ing the bulbs in soil either III pots or
what florists know as pans" which
are shallow porcelain pots, Cor in
| boxes These bulbs are then put in
a cool place in the dark, for a period
of two to six or eight weeks, or even
/ longer if desired. They should be left
| there until the roots are well started.
| In the case of bulbs planted in pots,
| the pots may be inverted and gently
| tapped, when the bulb and soil will
| come out in a mass. When the bulbs
! have been sufficiently long in the pots,
| the earth in the bottom of the pot will
| be completely covered with rootlets.
| The bulbs should then be brought into
| a slightly warmer place with some
light for three or four days and then
| gradually brought into greater warmth
and full light. During all the period
| Of growth the ground should be kept
| moist without being watersoaked.
! Narcissi take about five weeks to de-
| velop from the time they are brought
into full light. Hyacinths take long
| er time and tulips about the same time
as hyacinths. The Roman hyacinths
| come in a little less time, while the
paper white narcissus only takes about
four weeks 1t is hard to hold the pa
| per- white narcissus for later winter
] The hyacinths and tulips are hard to
bring into bloom before February. The
| various forms of the yellow narcls-
sus can be brought into bloom from
| December until the time for outdoor
blooms by starting the bulbs early in
the fall and bringing them into the
light at intervals of a week or ten
days. For the earliest bloom 1T is de-
sirable to get the bulbs started in Oc-
tober, and all Of the bulbs should be
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