HYACINTH. 143 
the ditches, because, should they be left on the land, 
they would cause the bulbs to rot. They cannot be 
used, even as a manure for trees, or any other plants, 
because, if they are not poisonous, they at Jeast always 
contain a corrosive substance, and to such a degree that 
in the month of October, if they are worked among for 
a few hours, they will have a worse effect on the laborer 
than the Poison Ivy; the skin becomes red and inflamed, 
and the pain is so intense that it prevents sleep. 
The manner of harvesting the bulbs in Holland is 
as follows: First, all the leaves are cut just under the 
surface of the beds, with a sharp shuffle-hoe, immediately 
after which the bulbs are taken up with the hands, the 
laborer sitting on the ground all the time. When taken 
up they are put in shallow trenches, close together, and 
covered with earth, where they remain from one to three 
weeks to ripen, after which they are brought into the 
store rooms and placed thinly to dry. They are then 
cleaned, the tops cut closely to the bulb, and the bulbs 
assorted according to quality and size. 
Propagation of the Hyacinth.—There are two 
artificial methods of propagating the Hyacinth in Hol- 
land. ‘The first is by means of cross-cuts made through 
the base of the bulbs, reaching half way up the bulb. 
These cuts are made as soon as the bulbs are taken from 
their beds, before they are put in the trenches for curing, 
the strongest and most healthy bulbs being chosen, as 
they produce the largest number of offsets. After the 
bulbs are cut they are laid in the trenches to ripen, the 
same as the other bulbs. These cuts soon open wide, 
and send out young bulbs thickly along the scales before 
autumn. They are planted in this state in beds by 
themselves, and the next year, after having been dried 
on the shelves, they are separated and trimmed. ‘i'o 
first year after cutting, the bulbs make very little, if any, 
foliage, as the old bulb has no longer any influence, and 
