" THE HYACINTH." 



303 



roots attached to the bulb ; the bulbs are then placed on the same bee's 

 on their sides, with the points towards the north. They are then 

 covered with dry earth or sand, about half an inch thick, in the form 

 of a ridge or cone ; and in this state they are left to dry or ripen gra- 

 dually for about three weeks. They are then taken up, and their 

 fibres gently rubbed off, after which they are laid in a dry room for a 

 few days, and then cleared from soil or loose decayed coats, &c, and 

 their off-sets separated. The bulbs are then placed in shallow drawers, 

 where the air can circulate around them Some persons place them 

 with the base of the bulb upwards ; but the most material thing is to 

 keep them from damp, and place them where there is a free circulation, 

 as on a lattice shelf, or in open wicker-baskets, with little sticks across 

 to separate each layer of bulbs ; and these baskets may be suspended to 

 the ceiling to keep them from vermin. 



It has been ascertained that the Hyacinth will grow and flower in 

 the water without sending out fibrous roots. In the year 1787, M. le 

 Marquis de Gonffier exhibited to the Royal Society of Agriculture in 

 Paris a glass, with the bulb of a Hyacinth turned the base upwards ; 

 in this state it sent down a stem and leaves into the water, but the bulb 

 did not send out roots upwards ; the leaves were very green, but the 

 petals of the flowers, winch should have been blue, were of a discoloured 

 white. This experiment proves how much the foliage of plants has the 

 power to assist in their growth, since they can even subsist without the 

 aid of the root. 



I have subjoined a descriptive list of a few of the best in each class, 

 suited equally well both cultivated in glasses or pots : — 



Six Double Red. Six Single Red. 



Bouquet royal, large rose, carmine Henrietta Wilhelmina, rose, white 

 eye. stripes. 



Grootvorst, very large rose. 

 Lady Grafton, large striped car- 

 mine, green tips. 

 Lord Duncan, largo rich pink. 

 Lord Wellington, largest rose. 

 Waterloo, deep carmine. 



Stx Double Blue. 

 Admiral of the blue, deep blue. 

 Due de Normandie, blue, purple 



stripe. 

 Helicon, rich blue, extra fine. 

 Laurens Koster, violet, dark mottle. 

 Othello, splendid black. 

 Pasquin, light blue, dark eye. 



Six Double White. 

 A la Mode, white, violet eye. 

 Anna Maria, white, purple eye. 

 Bride of Abydos, pure white. 

 Comtesse do ilollande, white, fine 

 eye. 



La Dame du Lac, shaded rose. 

 Le Franc de Berkhey, splendid 



rosy pink. 

 Princess Royal, deep rose. 

 Queen Victoria, rich crimson. 

 Temple of Apollo, rich flesh. 



Six Single Blue. 

 Bonaparte, light blue, dark shade. 

 Francois, deep blue, white eye. 

 La Grande Vedette, large pearl 



blue. 

 Nimrod, large bright light blue. 

 Tubal Cain, rich dark indigo. 

 William the First, large black. 



Six Single White. 

 Duchess of Kent, French white. 

 Hercules, French white. 

 Madame de Talleyrand, pun: 



white. 

 Valnqueur, pure white. 



