ith a view to obtaining
larger bulbs, I have been disappointed. They seem to exhaust their
energy in pushing their way out of the shells and up through the soil,
and their subsequent growth is not strong enough to be satisfactory. As
a rule, it is the object of the grower simply to change the bulblets
into bulbs, without special regard to size, but even if the latter were
the chief consideration, the end would probably be better attained by
close sowing. What they lose by crowding each other seems to be more
than made up by their mutual help in overcoming the obstacles which they
encounter in starting.

After the bulblets are sown, cover them slightly with the foot, treading
the earth directly over the rows. Next, sow a complete fertilizer, at
the rate of a thousand pounds to the acre, along the rows in the tracks
made by the foot and then draw the soil from both sides over the
fertilizer, making quite a ridge above each row. In small areas this
work may be done with the hoe, but in large ones it is better to use the
cultivator with the wings attached, as in covering bulbs. As soon as the
weeds start on the ridges, they should be lightly stirred with a steel
rake. A fine harrow or weeder may be used on large plantations, if
preferred. This stirring destroys the weeds over the rows before the
bulblets are fairly sprouted. A little later, when the shoots are nearly
ready to come through the ground, go over the rows again with the steel
rake, and level them down. This kills the second growth of weeds, makes
the surface clean for the young plants, and does away with the first
weeding, which is a costly item. It is important that this second
stirring be done at the right time. If too early, weeds will come up in
the rows with the bulblets; if too late, some of the young, tender
shoots may be injured.

If there is reason to think the bulblets too dry at planting time, they
may be put into sacks and soaked in water a day or two. In fact, however
well they may have been kept through the winter, it is not a bad plan to
soak them before planting. This gives the shells a more thorough
moistening than they could get in storage or in the ground, and this
cuts short the time required to soften them, and accelerates the coming
up by just so much. Some growers spread them on the cellar floor, wet
them, and cover with burlap. They are stirred every day, and kept moist
until they begin to sprout, when they are planted.

A bed of bulbl