HYACINTHUS 



THE BULB BOOK 



HTACDTTHrS 



In selecting Hyacinths for plant- 

 ing, attention should be given to the 

 weight rather than the size of the 

 bulbs. Very often a large bulb 

 throws a comparatively small truss 



Fig. 183.— Hyacinth, bulb and oSsets. (}.) 



of blossom, while a smaller but more 

 compact and heavier bulb will throw 

 quite a fine truss of flowers. 



PoT-CTJLTTTEE. — A great revival 

 seems to be taking place in the 

 culture of Hyacinths in pots, and 

 large prizes are now offered at the 

 spring shows for the best examples. 

 To attain the best results, especially 

 if prize-winning is one of the objects 

 in view, the very best and soundest, 

 and therefore dearest bulbs must be 

 secured. Each one according to size 

 should be put into a well-drained 

 5-in. or 6-in. pot not later than the 

 middle or end of September. A good 

 compost consists of two parts rich 

 loam, one part old cow-manure, one 

 part leaf -mould, and one part coarse 

 silver or river sand. This should be 

 prepared three or four weeks before 

 required, and the various ingredients 

 should be thoroughly mixed together. 

 In the potting the crown of each bulb 

 should be left just above the surface 

 of the soil, and a little sand may be 

 placed under and over each. The 

 pots should then be placed in a cold 

 frame having a hard dry bottom of 

 ashes, and leaf-mould or coco-nut 

 fibre may be spread over and around 



the pots so that the rims of the latter 

 are buried about 4 ins. deep. Coal 

 ashes or even friable grittj' soil may 

 be used instead of leaf-mould or 

 coco-nut fibre ; and some growers 

 take the precaution to invert a 3-in. 

 pot over the crowns of the bulbs 

 before covering them over, for the 

 sake of cleanliness. If early blossoms 

 are required the plants may be 

 taken into the greenhouse when the 

 pots are fairly full of roots, but too 

 much light should not be given until 

 the etiolated leaves assume a greenish 

 tint. Other batches of plants may 

 be brought in from time to time as re- 

 quired, so that the flowers may be had 

 from Christmas to the end of March 

 and April, when those planted in the 

 open ground will be coming well into 

 bloom. For forcing purposes a night 

 temperature of 60' to 65' F. is quite 

 suflicient. 



Fig. 1S4.— Florists' Hyacinth, (i.) 



Pot plants require attention to 

 watering and should not be given 



281 



