ON THE C0LTIVATION OF HYACINTHS. 195 



ARTICLE II.— O/i the Cultivation of Hyacinths. By 

 Innovator. 



I herewith send you what I have found aftei- numerous experi- 

 ments to be the best method of gi-owing Hyacinths. In selecthig 

 your bulbs be sure to choose such as ai'e large and conical ; these 

 are absoUitely necessary, as all flat crowned bulbs invariably break 

 into offsets and produce flowers not worth looking at, and small 

 biUbs are worse than useless. The next thing is the preparation 

 of compost, which should consist of one ban-owful of swi-sand, wet 

 with the salt water ; one peck of leaf moidd ; two pecks of finely 

 sifted night-soil ; and two pecks of line rich mould, to be found 

 in any ditch at the foot of a hill wliere the water settles from off a 

 w-ell-freqiiented road. Having mixed and passed these two or three 

 times through a fine sieve, take your pots, which should be twelve 

 inches deep and six broad inside ; place an oyster-shell over the 

 hole, and over that an inch of well-rotted cow-dung ; then fill the 

 pot to within three inches of the top with the above compost ; 

 strike the pot smartly upon the board, to settle the earth in it ; 

 then put in half an inch of white sand, and upon that place the 

 bulb ; cover it with sand, and fill the remainder of the pot with 

 <K)mpost; having finished planting, plunge the pots in the ground 

 in some airy place of the garden, so that their tops are 8 inches 

 under ground ; sift some light sandy earth over them, till it becomes 

 level with the surface. Here they may remain till the flowers 

 begin to shew colour, being protected by hoops and mats from 

 hea^y rains and frost. As soon as they begin to expand their 

 flowers, I should advise their removal into a green-liouse or cold 

 frame, and shaded from the sun. Supply them with plenty of 

 manured water when in flower, and they will continue their beauty 

 for at least a month. Where sea-sand cannot be procured, it may 

 be imitated as follows : — Take a. barrowful of drift sand, and wet 

 it with the following — connnon salt, 12 oz. ; muriate of lime, 2 oz.; 

 sidjihatc of soda, Epsom salts, and miuiate of magnesia, of each 

 (i drachms ; pour upon these 6 gallons of hot water, and when 

 dissolved wet the sand with it. 



It is necessary, in gi'owing Hyacinths, fo liave two sets of bulbs, 

 one for pots and tlic other lor a bid to be made of tlic same com- 

 jK)st as used for pots, and lining the bulbs allernately, or tliey soon 



