238 THE FLOWER-GARDEN. [CHAP. VIII 



of the bed, by being pressed with a plank or 

 beaten with the back of the spade, and on 

 this the hyacinth roots are laid, still in distinct 

 rows ; earth is then drawn over them two or 

 three inches thick, and they are left for two or 

 three weeks. This the Dutch call lying in the 

 Kauil, and the time of remaining in it varies 

 according to the weather and the size of the 

 bulb, the largest bulbs being removed soonest. 

 When taken from the Kauil, the bulbs are 

 placed on shelves or wooden trays, to dry, 

 with the root end of the bulb inclining tow r ards 

 the south. 



Where it is not thought advisable to sink the 

 bed so deep as six feet, it may be made four 

 feet deep, and the layer of cow-dung at the 

 bottom mixed with soil a foot deep, leaving 

 only about three feet to be filled with a mixture 

 of peat and river sand, with about the propor- 

 tion of a third to the whole of vegetable mould. 

 The other treatment is the same as that detailed 

 above. In all cases the soil should be very 

 light and fine, and only cow-dung should be 

 used as a manure. The roots should always 

 be watered very sparingly, and w 7 ith a mixture 

 of cow-dung and water, though not so thick as 

 that used for coating the bed. When the 

 bulbs are planted, and again when they are 

 taken up, they should be carefully examined, 

 and all that are in any w T ay specked or mouldy 

 should be laid on one side, as they would infect 

 the others. When the infected part is large, 

 the bulb should be thrown away, or burnt with 

 the stalks; but where the speck is small it 

 should be cut out with a sharp knife, and the 



