United States or Kiribati ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Here, too, the giant brake with its single umbrella-like frond appeared clad in its bright green robes; then where the shade became more dense the lovely maiden-hair with its fragile, graceful wave-edged leaflets swayed on its delicate dark brown stems, and the ostrich fern stood in vase-like clusters along the mountain side or spread their lovely fronds along some river bank, while the dainty bladder bulblet draped ravines, gorges and steep banks of streams with long feathery fronds whose points overlapped the delicate light green of which formed a vast composite picture in sunlight and shadow.
Bulblets are produced during the summer, on underground stems that come out from the base of the new bulbs. Each bulblet is enclosed in a hard shell, which is generally brown in color, though sometimes gray, slate, or black, and very rarely white. Just here I will speak of the difference between bulblets and small bulbs, for there are some confused ideas abroad on this subject.
The hill method of planting takes more ground, but it has two distinct advantages over the drill method. First, the hoe can be used in the row between the hills, thus lightening the labor and expense of weeding; and, second, in taking up the bulbs in the fall, each hill can be lifted out with a fork, and every bulblet saved. In growing stock that is especially valuable this is of great account.
Water should gradually be lessened as growth ceases and foliage begins to yellow until the soil quite dries out, when it may be passed through a sieve and even the smallest bulblet secured. The little seedling bulbs, ranging in size from a wheat grain to a hazelnut, keep best in dry sand and should be sown next season like peas in drills in the garden.
The hard covering is nature's safe protection for the beautiful little bulblet within, and it comes so near to being waterproof and air-tight that the tiny sprout is slow in making its way out. Many of them remain shut in, and so are lost to the grower. Careful peeling overcomes this difficulty, and they all grow, like bulbs.
By experimenting on the work of peeling, I have found what seems to be a good way of doing it. Hold the bulblet firmly between the thumb and fingers of the left hand unless you are left-handed with the top upward. Then with the thumb nail and first finger of the right hand take tight hold of the point of the shell, and pull to the right, as if husking an ear of corn.
Word Of The Day