Forcing Bulbs

By Mario Ritter

Broadcast: November 18, 2003

This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
If you like flowers in the early spring, then the middle of autumn is an important time of year. It is the time to plant 1)bulbs. Bulbs develop roots and leaves to become a full plant. Many spring flowers grow from bulbs. The most famous flower bulb is the 2)tulip.
The kinds of tulips that are popular in Europe and North America are native to central Asia. Experts say a Flemish diplomat¹ brought tulips to the Netherlands from Turkey in fifteen-fifty-four. It is said that the name tulip comes from the Turkish word for a turban, a headdress shaped something like the flower.
The Dutch fell in love with the tulip. In the years to follow, some forms of tulips became highly valuable. The period between sixteen-sixty-four and sixteen-sixty-seven became known as the Tulipomania (tu-lip-o-MAY-nee-yeh). People traded the rights to buy different kinds of tulips in a kind of tulip stock market.
Ever since that time, the Netherlands has been the world's biggest producer of tulip bulbs. Tulip bulbs alone are a forty-one million dollar export business.
In the northern part of the world, most tulips by now have already been planted in the ground for spring flowering. But another way of planting tulips and some other bulb flowers is growing in popularity². It is called forcing bulbs. This method is a way to grow flowers in the middle of winter.
This is how it is done. Use planting containers about ten centimeters across but not very deep. You can plant as many as three tulip bulbs, spaced about one centimeter apart. Fill the containers with loose, fertile soil. Chose large bulbs that are hard and do not show any signs of disease, like gray mold.
Plant the bulbs so their pointed³ end is just above the level of the soil. Water the bulbs well. Then store them in a cool, dark place. Bulbs need temperatures of about five to ten degrees Celsius⁴ to begin to grow. Do not let the soil get dry, but do not put in too much water either.
After six to ten weeks, the bulbs should have leaves about several centimeters long. The roots should be well developed. Move the containers out of the cold. Place them where they will receive moderate light.
Experts say the bulbs store enough food to produce flowers, so there is no need to 3)fertilize⁵ them. About four weeks later, in the middle of winter, the bulbs should produce flowers.
This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by Mario Ritter. This is Steve Ember.

注释：
1) bulb [bQlb] n.（植）球根，鳞茎
2) tulip [5tju:lip] n.郁金香
3) fertilize [5fE :tilaiz] v.施肥

 

1 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

2 popularity   

n.普及，流行，名望，受欢迎

参考例句：

• The story had an extensive popularity among American readers.这本小说在美国读者中赢得广泛的声望。
• Our product enjoys popularity throughout the world.我们的产品饮誉全球。

3 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

4 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

5 fertilize   

v.使受精，施肥于，使肥沃

参考例句：

• Fertilizer is a substance put on land to fertilize it.肥料是施在地里使之肥沃的物质。
• Reading will fertilize his vocabulary.阅读会丰富他的词汇。