THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



227 



and best ripened of them. As a rule, 

 never manure at the time of planting, 

 and plant as you dig, and for the main 

 crops, six inches deep; but for early 

 crops, that you intend to nurse a little, 

 four inches deep. Take up the crop 

 as soou as the leaves turn yellow, in 



July or August, and always give the 

 preference to early over late sorts. If 

 not earthed up, potatoes are more pro- 

 ductive, and ripen ten days earlier 

 than those treated in the customary 

 way. 



<. , : 



HYACINTHS IN POTS AND GLASSES. 



Fok the growth of hyacinths in pots, prepare 

 one half decomposed friable turfy loam, with 

 the remainder equal parts of well rotted 

 manure, leaf-mould, and river-sand, well in- 

 corporated together, this should, when so 

 prepared, be used in a tolerably dry state 

 (free from adhesiveness) so as to admit of a 

 firm pressure, without injury. The most 

 favourable season for planting is September, 

 and onwards. The size of pots is regu- 

 lated by the space or convenience for placing 

 them ; where limited, and a rich massive 

 effect is wished for, those of six or eight 

 inches in diameter are recommended, in 

 which three or four bulbs maybe placed, but 

 where more convenience is had, a succession 

 of single or double bulbs in smaller pots may 

 be admitted — two bulbs in each is very 

 effective, and generally preferred ; the 

 colours of such may be regulated according 

 to taste. In potting, each bulb should re- 

 main two-thirds above the surface of the 

 soil, and the base of each bulb should rest 

 upon a stratum of clean river-sand at about 

 three quarters of an inch lower than the rim 

 of each pot, to admit of a judiciously regu- 

 lated amount of water during the season of 

 bloom. After potting, place them where 

 intended to remain, upon a dry surface of 

 ashes or sharp gravel, in the rotation of 

 their intended periods of bloom (each later 

 potting plunged beyond the previous ones) 

 and thus arranged, water the whole well, to 

 imbed the bulbs firmly within the soil, 

 allowing them to remain until the bulbs and 

 surfaces are again dry (for one or two days) ; 

 then cover the whole over to the depth of 

 six or eight inches with half dried tan or 

 pure leaf-mould, for six or eight weeks, in 

 which position the preparatory root-growth 

 is made, necessary to a vigorous develop- 

 ment of their flower-scapes. After the 

 period adverted to, less or more, the first 

 potted bulbs may be taken up, the soil and 



sediment carefully brushed oft', and removed 

 to a gentle hot-bed, or a warm genial green- 

 house or forcing-pit, where, by the aid of a 

 slight root-temperature, the bloom will pro- 

 gressively expand, care being taken to 

 screen the leaf-growth made in darkness for 

 a few days after being disimbedded. When 

 an unusually warm spring requires that the 

 covering of tan or soil should be removed 

 from the general stock, the various batches 

 or pottings may be removed to cool pits or 

 frames, east or north aspect (air being ad- 

 mitted early in fine weather, and closed 

 early) until required for the forcing-house. 

 A short difference of a week or fortnight be- 

 tween the periods of potting, w T ill produce a 

 corresponding difference in the periods of 

 bloom. 



For culture in glasses, the bulbs should 

 be so placed that only the base of each 

 touch the water, the supply being given to 

 that effect ; they should then be placed 

 within a side recess or upon a shelf, in a cool 

 place, screened from the light, until the 

 roots are considerably developed, before 

 being exposed to the action of sunlight 

 in the drawing-room window, or vase. All 

 adventitious or impure matter secreted from 

 the water should be removed by occasionally 

 replenishing the glasses with pure water; no 

 injury is sustained by the operation. After 

 the removal of the bulbs to their position for 

 flowering, they should not be removed from 

 it, except in the case of winter -bloomed 

 bulbs for the purpose of protection from 

 frost, or chilling atmosphere by night. Rain 

 or soft water is most conducive to their 

 vigour. Many of the fine single-flowered 

 varieties of hyacinths are more effective 

 than the double ones, and, as a general rule, 

 the former succeed better than the latter in 

 glasses. — Messrs. Henderson, and Son's 

 Catalogue. 



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