HYACINTH CULTURE AT HAARLEM 129 



sucked up so quickly should cause them to rot, and they 

 even consider it a dangerous process to change them from 

 one place to another, in the same bed, if they have been but 

 half an hour in the ground. The roots, which are in such a 

 hurry to show themselves when first the bulbs are planted, 

 perish as quickly as they grow. They stop growing before 

 the flower is in full bloom, and are always quite dried up 

 before the seed begins to ripen. While the root is perishing 

 the flower continues, the stem grows, and all the flowers 

 expand completely. When the flower is quite over and the 

 seed is left to ripen, the sap goes into the leaves, which 

 lengthen considerably, then these die in their turn, till they 

 separate from the bulb of themselves. 



CHAPTER II. BULBS 



It has already been shown what sort of appearance the outer 

 tunics present, and it has been explained how the tunics in 

 general are formed. We are now going to push our examina- 

 tion further. After divesting the bulb of seven or eight 

 tunics (or fans), one comes (A) upon a little thin flattened 

 thread of crimson colour, like a line. It is, as it were, 

 embedded in one of the tunics ; it starts from the base of 

 the bulb and rises to the extreme top. 



Continuing to take away again the same number of 

 tunics, one comes upon a second thread (B) like the first, A y 

 only that it is less red and thicker ; then, for the third time, 

 taking off another seven or eight tunics, one meets with a 

 third line or fillet (C), very like the two first, with this 

 difference, it is quite white and much thicker. Under the 

 last fillet are the new leaves (or fans), beginning to bud, 

 about seven or eight in number, and in the centre of them is 

 the stem, which is going to flower in a few months. 



17 



