.Tamiary 25, 1873. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



CULTURE OF THE HYACINTH AND LILY OF 

 THE YALLEY. 



HE early part of the year teiug tlie time 

 when a general collection of Hyacinths re- 

 quires attention, a few remarks on tlie cul- 

 ture of this, the grandest of all spring flowers, 

 will not be out of place. The mistake is 

 sometimes made of leaving the pots out too 

 long in the plunging material, and sometimes 

 of not plunging them in a proper position. 

 I have seen Hyacintlis potted at the usual 

 time (about the end of October), and the pots 

 placed under the stage of the greenhouse, and carelessly 

 covered over with leaf mould, ashes, or any similar ma- 

 terial that was at hand. Now I do not tliink a more 

 unsuitable spot could be selected for them, as some of 

 the pots may be deluged -n-ith water, others may not 

 receive a drop, wlulst in many respects the place certainly 

 is not one that should be chosen for such a purpose. 

 The best position for them after they are potted is an 

 exposed one out of doors, on a hard, wormproof bottom, 

 the pots being covered to the depth of 6 inches with cocoa- 

 nut fibre refuse, spent tan, or leaf mould, but not ashes. 

 They should be removed to some glass structure by the 

 second week in Januaiy, though some, in order to retard 

 them, allow them to remain until the end of Febniary. 

 The spikes are thus sometimes injured by being allowed 

 to grow so long in that condition, and then the seedsman 

 who supphed the bulbs is blamed. Like " Stiff Soil," 

 in the number for December 21st, in reference to liis 

 Gladiolus roots, " I blamed the bulbs, the vendor blamed 

 the soU." So with our seeds. ^Vllen they do not vegetate 



fi'eely we say, " Th<at must have been bad seed Mr. 



suppUed me with tliis year ;" when probably the bu-ds, 

 wliich have a keen eye for such things, obseiwed the young 

 seedlings before we did, and picked them out as they 

 came through the ground. 



The best position for Hyacinth pots when removed 

 fi'om the plunging material is close to the glass of a low 

 span-roofed pit, heated with hot-water pipes, so that the 

 tcmperatm-e cannot faU below the freezing-point. Should 

 it not be convenient to remove them to such a structure, 

 they wUl do' in a cold fi-ame ; but the pots must be 

 plunged, and double mats must be thrown over them if 

 severe frost set in. A small pot should be inverted over 

 the crown of the bulb, should remain for a week, and 

 then be gradually removed, so that the incipent spOte may 

 receive no check to its growth. After this, air must be 

 abundantly admitted to prevent the spikes from becoming 

 in any way drawn. If the bulbs tlirow up two or three 

 spikes these must be removed, allowing only the strongest 

 to remain — that is, if they are required for exliibition ; 

 but if required for home decoration, all the spikes that 

 are fomied may be allowed to remain. "Wliere a con- 

 tinued display is required, successive batches will requu-e 

 to be told off to the forcing pits. The temperature should 

 be kept rather low at first, but gradually increased until 

 a regular night temperature of 6.^" is reached. 



Ko. 665.— Vol.. XXII., New Sehiei". 



Sometimes there is no forcing pit convenient ; indeed, 

 I generally place all such subjects on shelves near the 

 glass in Pine or Cuciunber houses ; but where it is neces- 

 sary to remove plants from a cold pit into a temperature 

 of 60° or 65°, it is better first to place them in a hotbed 

 where they can have a httle bottom heat to cause the 

 formation "of a larger quantity of roots in proportion to 

 the top, and thus prevent failure. When the first flower 

 or two on a truss has fully expanded, the pots should 

 be removed to the greenhouse and conservatory, wliich 

 ought to have a rather higher temperature when plants 

 are being removed to them fi-om the forcing houses. 



Lily of the Valley is one of the sweetest Httle gems 

 of the early spring months, and well adapted for early 

 forcing. The roots, if intended to be forced in large quan- 

 tities, ought to be brought in dm-ing the early part of 

 November, and potted at once, as early potting insures 

 a larger foi-mation of roots, and fits the plants better for 

 early forcing. When required for very early forcing, a 

 house or pit, with a little bottom heat and an atmospheric 

 temperatm'e of 4.')° at night, is best. Where this cannot be 

 obtained, the pots should be placed in a dung frame with 

 a gentle bottom heat, or a bed foirmed entirely of leaves. 

 This is necessary to bring the roots into action before 

 unduly exciting the crowns, and if this is not done the 

 flower-ti-usses are tin-own up TOthout leaves, and the 

 plant thus robbed of its beauty. To be sure of obtaining 

 leaves, I force the old plants which flowered in pots the 

 previous season to throw up plenty of leaves, but few 

 flowers. 



Success in forcing all classes of spiing flowers is attained 

 by exciting %-igorous root-action before the plants are 

 placed in a lugh temperatm-e ; and just in proportion as 

 this is observed so great will be the measure of the suc- 

 cess. Judicious watering is likewise an important con- 

 sideration. — J. Douglas. 



BEOMELIACEOUS PLANTS.— No. 1. 

 It is a source of great pleasure to me, an enthusiastic 

 admu-er of the order BromeUaceie, to find the pubhc agaui 

 taking an interest in this far-too-much-neglected family 

 of plants. In my earUer gardening days these plants were 

 highly prized, and I have httle doubt but that I shall soon 

 see them agam recei^'ing the care and attention to which 

 then- great beauty deseiwedly entitles them. I am led to 

 this hopeful state of mind by seeing them more frequently 

 in amatem-s' houses, and fi-om the frequent recent intro- 

 ductions of new species, in which the past year has been 

 exceptionally prolific. I think, also, that the Eoyal 

 Horticultural Society should take them under their special 

 care and offer prizes for them, for, although I am quite 

 aware that such a proceeding would not enhance theii- 

 beauties, it would undoubtedly increase and improve their 

 cultivation. Tliis would be productive of a greater num- 

 ber of amateur admirers, and a demand having been 

 created, plant-collectors would find it worth theii- wliile to 

 send us home many new kinds wliich have hitherto been 

 neglected for more'profitable plants. In order, therefore. 



No. 1217.— Vol. XLVII., Old SEniES. 



