NAT. ORDER. — LILIACE.E. 189 



and as this sand constitutes the principal part of the niLKture of tlie 

 soil, if natui'e denies us a supply of it at home, we nuist search l(.)r it 

 at other places, or try to prepare one like it. Various soils have been 

 used for this piu*pose, but the preference is given to a pale yellow 

 river-sand, to which is added a third of leaf-mould. 



In preparing the beds, particular attention must be paid to two 

 rules : — first, Tliat for the space of four years previously to planting, 

 no manure of a heating quality, must be mixed with the soil. Second, 

 That hyacinths must not be grown in the same soil oftener than once 

 every four years. The latter ride must be particularly attended to ; 

 because, if planted a year earlier, the decayed remains of the old 

 bulbs would communicate the rot or other diseases to the newly- 

 planted bidbs. In Holland, a bed is planted the first year with hya- 

 cinths, the second with tulips, the third with Polyanthus Narcissus ; 

 and it would be desirable if something similar were planted even the 

 fourth year. The bed, however, is generally prepared for hyacinths 

 the fourth season as follows : — Between December and February the 

 ground is dug five or six feet deep ; and, when too much water is 

 apprehended, a drain is dug all round the bed, and filled with ^^ood 

 or stones, and then covered up. In March every square yard is en ■ 

 ri died with fonr hand-barrowfids of pure cow-manure (without straw) 

 dug in a foot deep. During the summer, vegetables or annuals are 

 grown on the bed, which do not exhavist the soil too much. The 

 following autuma (therefore the fifth,) the soil is dug one and a half 

 or two inches deep, taking care to let the manure, which was put on 

 the ground in spring, remain a foot deep in the earth. When a pro- 

 per drain is not made, a trench is used, two feet wide, and one and 

 a half feet broad, which is left open, so that the water collected in it 

 may be taken out 



When the above operation is performed, the bulbs must be prepa- 

 red for planting in the beginning of October. This preparation con- 

 sists in examining whether the bulbs are perfectly healthy ; because 

 if they are unhealthy, they not only will not flower, but will infect 



