22 THE PARLOR GARDENER. 



the one that is open at both ends one of the fin- 

 est of your hyacinth roots ; suppose you take one 

 of a fine red a sultan Soliman for instance ; 

 place this bulb in a position inverse to its natural 

 position, that is, with the bottom up, and the top, 

 from which the leaves and flowers are to come, 

 downwards, even with the orifice at the bottom 

 of the vase. Then you must crumble a mixture 

 of good garden earth and leaf mould over the 

 bulb until the vase is three quarters full. A 

 second bulb with a flower in strong contrast to 

 the first, say a blue if the flower of the first is 

 red, and vice versa, must be next placed in the 

 vase, so that the top shall be even with the upper 

 orifice. You have nothing more to do than to 

 place the vase thus prepared upon the first vase, 

 full of water. 



Two similar couples look very well, placed upon 

 the two ends of the mantel-piece of a room in 

 which people habitually sit, and where, conse- 

 quently, fire is constantly made while the cold 

 season lasts. The earth in the upper vase should 

 be moderately watered as soon as the bulbs are 

 placed in it, and then kept constantly moist, 



