HYACINTHUS. 



164 



HYACINTHUS. 



the long roots, as they are very 

 brittle and easily broken, and the 

 plant is seriously injured by their 

 being in an imperfect state. When 

 one of the long roots is broken, it 

 should be cut off with a sharp knife 

 close to the bulb. 



When Hyacinths are to be grown 

 in water-glasses, some persons think 

 it advisable first to plant the bulbs 

 in soil, and when they have made 

 roots of an inch or more in length, 

 to take them up, and wash the 

 roots before putting them in glasses ; 

 but planting in a flower-pot gene- 

 rally makes the roots spread, in- 

 stead of descending pei-pendicularly ; 

 and thus, they can scarcely be put 

 into the glass without breaking. To 

 avoid this danger the bulbs should 

 be planted in loose sandy soil, and 

 a very deep pot. When the bulbs 

 are put into the water, without pre- 

 viously yjlanting them in the ground, 

 the glasses may be kept in the dark, 

 till the roots begin to grow ; but as 

 soon as this is the case, the glasses 

 should be placed in a warm room 

 near the light, when the plants will 

 grow rapidly. They Avill, however, 

 in ordinary cases, do very well with- 

 out any other care than putting 

 them in the glasses, and letting the 

 water at first just touch the bulb. 

 As soon as the roots begin to grow, 

 however, the water should be low- 

 ered ; as, if water is retained round 

 the bulb after it has been excited 

 into a growing state, it is very apt 

 to rot. For the same reason great 

 care should be taken not to let any 

 water penetrate into the heart of 

 the plant w^hen the leaves begin to 

 open, and the flower-stalk to arise. 

 Should the flower-stem appear weak, 

 it may be supported by a slender 

 prop fixed in a disk of wood, on 

 which the glass may be placed at 

 its base ; or by any more elegant or 

 convenient means. In choosing Hya- 



cinths for water-glasses, the red and 

 blue flowers are preferable to those 

 which are white or yellow ; the 

 latter two having a fragrance too 

 powerful for rooms, and, besides, 

 they generally flower weaker in 

 glasses than the others. In the 

 windows of seed-shops we sometimes 

 see Hyacinths or Narcissi with their 

 flowers inverted in a glass of water 

 appearing as if they had grown in 

 that position. They are, however, 

 grown in the usual manner, with 

 the glass inverted over the pot in 

 which the flower is grown, and only 

 turned and the glass filled up with 

 water after the flower has expanded, 

 the flower-pot being removed, and 

 the bulb wrapped in w^et moss. 

 Sometimes another flower appears 

 growing from the other end of the 

 glass ; but this is grown in another 

 flower-pot in the usual way, and 

 only removed to the glass when it is 

 wanted to produce the proper effect. 

 Deceptions of this kind cannot be 

 considered in good taste, particu- 

 larly at the present day, when people 

 are so much better educated than 

 formerly. Hyacinths flowered in 

 water are seldom good for much 

 afterwards ; nevertheless, if the 

 leaves are carefully preserved, and 

 the plants, immediately that they 

 have done flowering, are planted in 

 a nursery-bed, they will recover 

 their vigour in two or three years. 

 It is also said that sinking the bulb 

 entirely in w^ater after it has done 

 flowering invigorates it, and will 

 enable it to flower the second year ; 

 but I have never had an opportunity 

 of proving this. A very small por- 

 tion of common salt added to the 

 water is said to accelerate the 

 growth of Hyacinths, and to give a 

 deeper green to their leaves ; and 

 keeping the water warm, say at a 

 temperature of 60°, is also said to 

 promote their growth. It must, 



