682 GARDEN MANAGEMENT. 



them in a cold pit, plunged in and covered over the top three inches 

 deep with old tan, cinder-ashes, or leaf-mould : leave them there until 

 they are rooted ; then move them to a forcing-pit, or anywhere in the light 

 and moderate warmth to bi-ing them into flower. They must never suffer 

 for the want of, nor have an excess of water, and may have clear manure- 

 water alternately with clean, if they are placed where the smell would not 

 be offensive. If grown in the windows of living-rooms, they should be 

 placed on the table at night to guard against excessive cold, and also be 

 moved out of the draught when the room is aired. Various ornamental 

 supports are advertised for holding up the flowers in lieu of stakes. In 

 pot-culture, stakes are often unnecessary; for glasses, some support is 

 generally indispensable. Tye's are the neatest and most efficient I have seen. 

 Hyacinths in glasses of water require the same general treatment. One 

 of the chief points is to see that the base of the bulb does not rest in the 

 water ; if it does, the chances are that it will decay before roots are emitted. 

 The water should be changed daily at a temperature of 55°. Sometimes a 

 dozen of bulbs are aiTanged in a flat glass dish, containing half an inch or 

 so of water, which is speedily occupied with a tangled web of roots : this, as 

 well as placing the bulbs in damp moss in ornamental baskets, affords excel- 

 lent facilities for tasteful arrangement. The three striking colours, red, 

 white, and blue (we have few good yellows), might be placed in very pleasing 

 and effective contrast, and a bright golden band of glowing yellow crocuses 

 makes a matchless finish to the whole. I decidedly prefer growing hyacinths in 

 masses of colour, and they contrast well with narcissus, tulips, snowdrops, and 

 especially crocuses. In fact, the whole of these bulbs may be grown in juxta- 

 position to each other in ornamental vases or baskets, and be infinitely more 

 effective than single pots of either dotted about here and there on con- 

 servatory shelves. Any vessel, pot, or pan, may also be filled with damp 

 sand for hyacinths, to be kept damp ; and if occasionally watered with 

 manure, they will do as well in it as in any soil whatever. The fact is, the 

 hyacinth is not primarily dependent for its health or beauty on the food or 

 culture we impart : it laid the foundation of both in the rich soil and beneath 

 the warm skies of the plodding Dutchman ; and if we will only give it a 

 modicum of light, air, water, and warmth, it hastens to unfold its rich 

 beauty, and diffuse its satisfying fragrance for our gratification and delight. 

 Procure your bulbs as early as possible in October, and pot or place in damp 

 moss, water, &c., or in the open ground, at once. The following are firbt- 

 rate varieties, equally adapted for any or all of the above modes of cultm-e : — 



Doulle YelloK. 

 Bouquet d'Orange. 

 Jaune Supreme. 

 Heroine. 

 La Grandeur. 



Single Yellow. 

 Anna Carolina. 

 Bhinoceros. 



Heroine. 



La Pluie d'Or. 



Double White. 

 Anna Maria. 

 Bouquet Royal. 

 Latour d'Auvergne. 

 Prince of Waterloo. 

 La Virginette. 



Tirgo. 



A la mode. 



Grand Monarque de 



France. 

 Sceptre d'Or. 

 Triomphe Blondina. 

 Pyrene. 

 Don gratuit. 



