128 FLORA HISTORICA, 



throws off perfect plants from its side beneath the 

 earth. 



Who can look into these mysterious works of 

 Nature without having his mind enlightened, and 

 his admiration increased towards the Omnipotent 

 Being 



whose sun exalts, 



"Whose breath perfumes, and whose pencil paints 

 The Hyacinth. 



Some varieties of the Hyacinth do not so readily 

 throw off young bulbs as others, but require all the 

 nourishment to form their flowers, and support the 

 seed vessels. In this case a simple expedient is 

 resorted to, if the variety be scarce and valuable. 

 The base of the bulb is slightly cut or notched in 

 three or four places — which hinders the plant from 

 exhausting itself in the production of a flower-stem, 

 and at the same time induces a tendency in the bulb 

 to throw out off-sets at the wounded places ; and 

 these off-sets soon become independent plants, with 

 all the character of the parent bulb. 



To raise Hyacinths from seed is doubly desirous, 

 as it increases the quantity and also the variety of 

 this admired flower. Plants that have a strong and 

 straight stem, and a regular and well formed pyramid 

 of bells that are semi- double, should be selected for 

 seed. They should not be gathered till they have 

 become perfectly black and ripe, at which time the 



