Abstract
FOR more than two hundred years the bulbs grown in Great Britain have been imported, chiefly from the Netherlands. Commercial flower production, however, has expanded so rapidly in recent years that the sum spent on imported bulbs is now very considerable, £1,470,000 being reached in 1931. There seems to be no reason why bulb-growing should not be successfully developed in England, and to this end the Ministry of Agriculture has issued an illustrated bulletin (No. 62), price 1s. 6d., entitled “Commercial Bulb Production”. The term ‘bulb’ is used in its general sense and although the major part of the bulletin is devoted to the true bulbs of commercial importance (daffodils, narcissi, tulips and lilies) certain other ‘bulbs’ such as gladioli and irises are dealt with in detail, and much useful information is supplied on a number of miscellaneous ‘bulbs’ commonly grown in parks and gardens. After some account of the best type of soil, its preparation and manurial treatment, the planting, care of the crop, and methods for its propagation are described. In the case of the more important species, full information is given as to the selection of varieties most suitable for forcing, growing in pots or in the open, together with recommendations as to the best times for planting and lifting. Practical advice is also supplied with regard to methods for large-scale storage and the grading and sale of bulbs for wholesale or retail trade.
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Commercial Bulb Production. Nature 132, 201–202 (1933). https://doi.org/10.1038/132201c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/132201c0