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Varieties of Bulbs for Forcing

Narcissus Some bulbs force much more easily than others. Practically all of the narcissus groups do well. Some of the best varieties for forcing are:- Trumpet Group: Golden Spur, Emperor, Empress, Bicolor Victoria. Incomparabilis Group: Autocrat, Lucifer, Sir Watkin. Barri Group: Conspicuus, Sea Gull.

Leedsi Group: White Lady, Mrs. Langtry, Queen of the North. Polyanthus Group: Paper-white Grandiflora, Grand Soleil d'Or. Poetaz Group: Elvira.

Fonquilla Group: Campernelle rugulosa.

Tulips Success with tulips is not so easily assured. The early varieties force more readily than do the late Darwins and Breeders. Several of the little Species or Botanical tulips force well and are very charming. Some of the varieties of tulips best suited to forcing are:-- Single Early: Cottage Maid, Golden Queen, La Reine, Lady Boreel. Double Early: Boule de Neige, Peach Blossom, Murillo. Cottage: Inglescombe Pink, Distinction, Vitellina.

Darwin: Princess Elizabeth, Matchless, Baronne de la Tonnaye, Wm. Copland. Breeders: Bronze Queen, Fairy, Prince of Orange.

Botanical or Species: Clusiana.

Hyacinths and Dwarf Gladioli Hyacinths are very easy indeed to force and do extraordinarily well. Good forcing varieties are: Cardinal Manning, Gertrude, Pink Perfection, King of the Blues, L'Innocence, Grand Maitre.

The dainty little dwarf gladioli are not very widely known, but they force exceedingly well and should be included in every bulb order. They are among the most exquisite of flowers, diminutive in form as compared with the common gladiolus. The blooms are borne on slender, wiry stems and are very decorative.

After bulbs have been forced, their foliage should be allowed to ripen naturally and they may then be planted out in the garden or in some naturalistic setting. Some will fail to bloom the following year, but most of them will in time recover.

Lily-of-the-valley Few people realize how very easy it is to force lily-of-the-valley into winter bloom indoors. It is a real Aladdin game, as the flowers come into bloom very quickly and children are always fascinated watching them. They make a delightful Christmas gift for children to grow and give away. It is necessary for plants to have had a dormant rest period before being forced, and it is always best to purchase pips-as the individual plants are called-which have been especially prepared for forcing. They are not expensive and are carried by most seed and bulb firms.

The pips should be potted as soon as possible after they arrive. A good mixture of soil is two parts loam, one part leaf mould, and one part sand. They may also be grown in pure sand. When potted, the tips of the pips should protrude slightly above the soil. The pots should be covered with damp sphagnum moss and kept in a moderately dark place, at a temperature ranging from 70 degrees to 80 degrees. Growth is very rapid and in twenty-one days from planting the flowers should begin to open. The moss should be removed entirely or loosened when the young leaves begin to show, and at the end of fifteen days the pots should be moved into direct light. A large pot filled with a dozen plants of lily-of-the-valley in full flower is decorative and fragrant, more than worth the slight effort that goes into the growing of it.

Gladioli The gladiolus has so many virtues to commend it to the busy gardener! The plants are easy of culture, free from insect pests and diseases, and adaptable to various types of soil and widely varying climates; their season of bloom is long, their decorative value in the garden and their beauty as cut flowers are inimitable; the bulbs may be procured at reasonable prices and may be propagated with ease. Almost no other flower has both such beauty of form and such a wide range of coloring. They are lovely when planted in masses by themselves, and they fit delightfully into almost any planting scheme in the hardy border or the annual flower garden.