IiEXANDRIA. 8 7 



fresh soil being more favourable to their health and 

 vigour. 



After a long repetition of the same kind of crop, 

 cultivated land, however good, seems to tire of the 

 produce. Hyacinth bulbs are every year brought to 

 England from the Continent, as they are found to 

 degenerate with us ; and a skilful gardener can im- 

 mediately decide whether the bulbs imported, grew 

 in the plantations of Haarlem, or in fresh land; for 

 under the outermost covering of the Haarlem bulbs 

 there is to be perceived, with close attention, a fine 

 film impregnated with animalculae, which does not 

 exist in those bulbs which are produced in planta- 

 tions, where they have been only recently pro- 

 pagated. 



When Hyacinth bulbs are placed to grow in 

 water, October and November are considered the 

 most proper months to put them into glasses. The 

 bulb glass should be filled with water so far only, as 

 that the base of the root may be immersed in it, and 

 the water changed, once in about three weeks. 



The Tulip is also of this Order, not less admired 

 and valued by Dutch florists; the beauty of which 

 consists in the petals being rounded at the ends, and 

 in the depth, brilliancy, and distinctness of the colours. 



Pine-Apple, Bromelia ananas. This delicious 

 fruit is of this Class and Order, and appears to have 

 been cultivated in England in our hot-houses as early 

 as I69O. 



There are many varieties of this fruit, and if in 



