HYACINTH. 81 



HYACINTH. 



"Hail to thee ! hail, thou lovely flower ! 

 Still shed around thy sweet perfume, 

 Still smile amid the Wintry hour, 

 And boast e'en then a spring-tide bloom. 

 Thus hope, mid life's severest days, 

 Still smiles, still triumphs o'er despair ; 

 Alike she lives in pleasure's rays, 

 And cold affliction's Winter air." 



There are, as has been already stated, about thirteen 

 hundred varieties of this family of plants, comprising all the 

 various hues, as white, pink, red, yellow, blue, purple, crim- 

 son, &c.,- and sOme of those with various coloured eyes. 

 They begin to produce their flowers in the open borders 

 early in April, on short erect stems covered with florets or 

 small bells ; each floret is well filled with petals rising toward 

 the centre, and is suspended from the stem by short strong 

 footstalks, the longest at the bottom, and the uppermost 

 florets stand so erect as to form a pyramid. A plantation, or 

 bed of these, has a very beautiful appearance, provided they 

 are well attended to. In planting them, which should be 

 in the months of October or November, care should be taken 

 to have the colours so diversified as to suit the fancy ; they 

 may be placed in short rows across the bed, about eight inches 

 Hpart, and from three to four inches deep, measuring from 

 the top of the bulb, and covered up at the setting in of win- 

 ter, as before recommended for bulbs in general. 



Those who may have a fine collection, should have an 

 awning erected in the spring, to screen them from the chill 

 ing blast, and also from drenching rains and the noonday 

 sun and they should be looked over as soon as they make 

 their appearance above ground, to see if they are all perfect 

 and regular ; if faulty or inferior bulbs should appear to have 

 been planted in a conspicuous part of the bed, by accident 

 or mistake, they can be taken out, and by shortening the 

 rows, others may be substituted with a trowel. "When all 

 are regulated, look over them frequently, and as the stems 



