DECEMBER. 281 



such young roots are frequently broken off, thus increasing the evil 

 by weakening the bulb, as such roots have to be replaced by a second 

 drain on its resources. Of the kind of bottles to choose, there is the 

 following quotation from M'Intosh's Flower-Garden : "As all roots 

 shun the light with as much instinctive care as stems and leaves 

 court it, the sort of bottles best suited for growing Hyacinths in water 

 are those of the darkest colours, such as blue and green. Black or 

 opaque would be preferable." The little paragraph on the " Manage- 

 ment of Bulbs" we give entire : 



" Having filled the bottles with clean rain-water, introduce the 

 bulbs, but do not let them touch the water by half ; n inch. Place 

 them in a dark closet or cellar, in order that the roots may grow first, 

 for reasons before alluded to. The flower starts from the heart of 

 the bulb so soon as it can escape from the leaves which enclose it, 

 when it requires and must have nourishment. If it has but few and 

 short roots, the flower will be poor and dwarfy in consequence. 

 When the roots are of sufficient length, say four or five inches, re- 

 move the bottles to a situation where the bulbs will have light, but 

 not too bright at first, and in a week or so i)lace them near the glass 

 in a greenhouse, or in a sitting-room window. In each case be 

 careful to avoid too great a change of temperature, which should be 

 but little higher than that of the place from whence you remove the 

 bottle. Let the plants have air on all convenient occasions, or they 

 will grow tall, pale, and weakly. 



A variety of methods for giving vigour to the plants, and brighten- 

 ing the colours of the flowers, have been resorted to ; such, for ex- 

 ample, as adding to the water a few lumps of charcoal, a little nitrate 

 of soda, or a small portion of saltj)etre ; but the following has been 

 found to answer well : dissolve half an ounce of guano with so much 

 chloride of lime as would equal the size of a large pea in a quart of 

 rain-water. Let this mixture stand for a day or two to become clear. 

 Pour about two teaspoonfuls into the bottle twice a week after the 

 flower appears well out of the bulb." 



There is one important feature in the successful cultivation of the 

 Hyacinth in glasses, which, we think, is not sufficiently known or re- 

 cognised ; we allude to changing the water. On this branch of the 

 subject, at page 10, we have the following excellent bit of advice, the 

 italics are our own marking, because we know the importance of 

 attention to the precept given: " The water requires changing every 

 two or three weeks. Let the fresh supply he of the same tempera lure 

 as that in which the bulb has been growing, for remember the heat of 

 the room, or greenhouse, has taken off^ the ' chill.' The flowers will 

 receive a check if you do not attend to this." And in reference to 

 the too prevalent practice of allowing the flower- stem to become 

 '* drawn," we extract the following : " Such plants as appear to grow 

 too rapidly should be removed to a little cooler situation ; say from 

 the sitting-room to the parlour, or any such i)lace, according to con- 

 venience. On the other hand, such as appear too stunted should be 

 removed for a short time to a little warmer situation, on the chimney- 

 piece, for instance, in the sitting-room ; but not for too long a period, 



NEW SERIES. VOL. I. NO. XII. B B 



