THE AQUARIUM, OCTOBER, 1894. 



137 



This process is generally completed in 

 about two weeks, the bulbs are now 

 taken to the drying houses, where the 

 combined action of sunshine and 

 draught make them ready for the mar- 

 ket. Packed in buckwheat shells they 

 are shipped, mostly via Rotterdam, to 

 every part of the civilized world. Just 

 how large the annual crop of flower 

 bulbs is that Holland grows and ex- 

 ports, we are unable to state, but it is 

 fabulously large. 



WINDOW CULTURE OF THE HYACINTH. 



From the foregoing description of 

 the cultivation of the Hyacinth in 

 the nurseries of Holland, one is in- 

 clined to think that the cultivation 

 of these beautiful flowers in the 

 house is connected with similar work 

 and trouble, but this is just to the 

 contrary; the Dutch have done all 

 the work for us. They supply us the 

 bulbs ready for blooming (see illustra- 

 tion). All that we have to do is to 

 plant them in the glasses, bowls or jar- 

 diniers intended for their culture, give 

 them a passing care now and then, 

 which really is a recreation, watch their 

 development and enjoy their brilliant 

 colors and rich odor while blooming on 

 our window sills, just at a season of the 

 year when flowers are most welcome to 

 see. 



By observing the following rules in 

 their care, success in their culture is 

 secured : 



Fill the glasses with water from the 

 hydrant, or where you can't have this 

 take rain water ; place the bulbs so that 

 they barely touch it, and set them in a 

 cool, dark, dry cellar or closet. Ex- 

 amine them occasionally, and remove 

 gently any scales that may be decaying, 

 but be careful not to injure the young 

 roots. When the glasses are moder- 



ately filled with roots, which will be in 

 from three to six weeks according to 

 the variety, place them where they will 

 get a moderate light ; and as soon as 

 the plants assume a healthy green color 

 remove to the lightest possible situation 

 in the window, where they can have 

 an abundance of fresh air in moderate 

 weather. The water should be changed 

 on them at least once in three weeks; a 

 small piece of charcoal or a pinch of 

 salt will assist in keeping the water 

 sweet. 



The culture in moss or sand is easier 

 yet. For this mode of culture fancy 

 pots, jardiniers or window boxes are 

 used. These are filled to within about 

 three inches of their upper edge with 

 damp moss or sand, or both, and on 

 the t®p of this the bulbs are set. You 

 may set on this surface as many bulbs 

 as you choose, as long as you don't 

 crowd them too much and can arrange 

 that each of them touches with its bot- 

 tom the moss or sand. Cover them 

 loosely with ■ nice moss, fill the vessel 

 about half full with water and set it in 

 a cool, dark place, treating them as di- 

 rected for those in water. Change of 

 water and picking off decaying scales 

 are not necessary in this case. After 

 the flower spikes begin to show, the 

 bulbs should not lack water, and an 

 occasional sprinkling with water over- 

 head is very beneficial to them. The 

 single Hyacinths are the most satisfac- 

 tory for house culture ; in fact, they 

 are also the prettiest. The bulbs should 

 not be planted later than November. 



FERNS. 



{Continued from last Nicmber.) 



Now comes the question to decide, 



what kind of soil to use. Much has 



been said about mixtures of peat and 



various other kinds of soil, but we need 



