The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-08-31
BULB PLANTING IN FALL.
Work Should Be Started Before Early
Frosts Come.


If you have rich beds of tulip or give
the beds or the corners of your lawns
a beautiful spring-like yellow or white
glow of narcissus, daffodil aud jonquil
you must begin to think of the early
spring appearance of your garden in the
fall, for the bulbs OF these two flowers
must be planted in the fall before the
ground is frozen. In fact, this work
should be undertaken as soon as or be-
fore any early frost has begun to make
the annual flowers in the beds look
weakened. In dealing with narcissus,
which is the family to which the dsffodil
and jonqui belong, it might be well to
think of trying to naturalize the mar
cissus to grow and blossom on the lawn
much as do the wild flowers. How to
plant and handle the bulbs as well as
the best method of getting them to be-
come spring residents of grassy cor
ners, are described in the following d
rections issued by the bulb specialists
of the United States department of ag-
riculture:
These bulbs should be planted in light,
rich soil that hqs been dug to a depth
of at least 10 inches. The tulip bulbs
should be set five inches apart and four
inches deep and the narcissus bulbs
about 10 inches apart and five inches
deep.
If they are to be grown in pots or
window boxes, light, rich soil should
be used. Place one or two inches of
oinders of broken pots in the bottom OF
the pots or boxes to insure good drain.
age. After planting, place the pots or
boxes out of doors and cover them with
about inches of ashes or sand; or they
may be placed in n dark, cool room or
cellar for a few weeks until the bulbs |
have formed a quantity of roots. They |
may then be brought into the light and |
Leaf for Towering. Keep the soil well |
inoistened from time OF planting but /
avoid demonstrating. for if kept too wet
the bulbs will decay.
Cultivation.
Ii planted in beds, the surface of the
soil should be loosened after each rain
and the bed kept free from weeds. In
the late fall or early winter months it
il well to cover the beds with a light
mulch of straw or leaves to prevent in
iW W bit NOuiik lohAn Afoil liif dAN'i 1
nate freezing and thawing of the soil.
This mulch should be gradually removed
in spring, as soon as growth appears
a Dove ground. The bulbs are quite hardy
and are not injured by severe cold if the
soil is well drained.
Lifting and Dividing.
Tulip and nacissus plants are peren- I
.sul ~ ~, ~ / 4
under suitable soil and climatic condi- (
tions will increase and multiply from !
year to year. The bulbs may remain in
the ground two or three years, or until {
the clumps begin TO crowd. After bios
soming in the spring. from six TO eight
weeks should elapse to allow the foliage {
10 die partially down, when the bulbs q
may be lifted with a spade or fork. =
Shake the soil from the roots and store ]
the bulbs in a cool, shady place where {
they will ripen and cure. When the :
Old leaves and roots are thoroughly dry q
they may be easily rubbed of and the :
clusters of bulbs divided. The bulbs may a
then be planted in the same manner as ]
the original bulbs. In this way the G
stock may be increased in few years. q
NaluIdhzlng the NdIGSsuS.
The narcissus often becomes natural !
zed when planted in the sod of partial !.
.hade. where il viii continue to grow, i
blossom, and multiply for many years
without further attention. Simply make q
small hole in the soil five or six inches :
icep. insert the bulb pointed end mp. n
iress the soil over the top, and nature
sill do The rest For naturalizing. avoid IN
Wanting in rows or rigid geometrical !
,gures. 4 good plan y 90 scatter the :.
'ulbs like seed and plant where they =
all. This method Of planting IL eN- a
ensively followed in the home grounds :,
nd parks Of Englandd and other coun- 4,
ries in Europe. In portions 81 North
arolina.. on large estates along the 4,
amos river in Virginia, and in Old gar Il.
ems in New England, narcissuses that Il
we're planted over half a century ago :,
re- still growing vigorously and every II
Vring produce beautiful displays Of y