HYACINTHS. 



264 



HYACINTHS. 



pot will grow the hyacinth well ; for three 

 bulbs a 5^-inch pot will be sufficient, and 

 here it may be said that hyacinths cultivated 

 in groups are much more effective than 

 when grown singly. At the bottom of the 

 pot place over the hole a piece of potsherd 

 and some charcoal, and on this some rough 

 pieces of turfy loam to insure good drainage ; 

 then fill the pots with the prepared soil to 

 within an inch of the top, placing the bulb 

 in the centre, or, if three, at equal distances 

 apart, pressing them well into the soil, and 

 filling up, leaving only the crown of the 

 bulbs uncovered ; moderately water, and 

 place them anywhere out of doors, on coal 

 ashes or anything that will secure good 

 drainage and at the same time be objection- 

 able to worms ; then with coal ashes, leaf 

 soil, or old tan, or better still, common 

 cocoa fibre, fill up between the pots, and 

 cover over 2 or 3 inches. In five or six 

 weeks the pots will be full of roots, and 

 may then be removed at pleasure. For a 

 few early blooms some may be removed at 

 the end of three or four weeks and placed 

 in a gentle hotbed, warm greenhouse, 

 forcing-pit, or vinery, but they must be 

 kept close to the glass, to prevent them 

 from growing tall and unsightly. At first 

 they should be forced very gently. 



To maintain the succession, a portion of 

 the newly potted bulbs, intended for late 

 blooming, should be placed under a north 

 wall, while those for early blooming should 

 be arranged under a south wall, and every 

 fortnight a part of these should be brought 

 indoors. As the season advances, the 

 leaves, and even the flowers, will burst 

 from their prison ; so that when the plants 

 are removed from under the ashes, &c., 

 they must be placed in the shade for a few 

 days, till the leaves, &c., become green.' 



Watering, &>c. Hyacinths in pots must 

 psver su%r for the want of, nor have an 

 excess of, water j they may have clear 

 manure water alternately with clean, <" 



FOR 



HYACINTHS IN 



GLASSES. 



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 cul- 

 ture stakes are often un- 

 necessary ; for glasses, how- 

 ever, and sometimes for 

 hyacinths in pots when the 

 spikes of bloom are un- 

 usually heary, some support 

 is generally indispensable. 

 The wire supports shown 

 in the accompanying illus- SUPPORT 

 tration are the neatest and 

 most efficient that can be 

 had for the purpose, and very much neater 

 than any support that can be made in wood. 



Hyacinths in Sand. 



To insure an effective display when the 

 hyacinth is grown in sand it is necessary to 

 plant thickly. Push the bulbs into the dry 

 sand, leaving only the top visible, and to 

 fix the sand, the vessel should be immersed 

 in a pail of water ; also, to prevent any 

 subsequent displacement of the sand, and 

 to secure for the plants a sufficient supply 

 of moisture, this operation should be re- 

 peated once a week, or oftener if required, 

 a bath of two or three minutes' duration 

 being sufficient ; and if the water used be 

 tepid, it will be all the better, as it 

 encourages the development of the flower. 

 An occasional watering of tepid water over- 

 head, through a fine rose, will free the 

 plants from dust, and keep them healthy 

 and vigorous. It should be said that cocoa 

 fibre and charcoal mixed together is a much 

 better medium than sand. 



