202 FLOWER-GARDEN CARE OF CHOICE BULBS. [APRIL- 



of matting, or any other substitute, repeat the tying as 

 they advance, avoid tying amongst the florets, because 

 they grow by extension, and are liable to be broken off 

 by so doing. The sun deteriorates the colours very 

 much, especially the red, blue, and yellow sorts ; where- 

 as if they were simply protected from the sun by an 

 awning of thin canvass, the colours would be preserved 

 and the beauty protracted. If there are stakes drove 

 into the ground on each side of the beds, about three 

 feet high, with others in the centre about eight feet, 

 having laths or hoops from the side to the centre, 

 formed similar to the roof of a house, so that people 

 may walk or sit under it, the canvass or awning being 

 thin to admit of the light freely, the effect in the time of 

 sunshine from the brilliancy of the colours is peculiarly 

 gratifying. Where an awning is thus erected, it re- 

 quires to be kept on only from nine to three o'clock in 

 sunshine days, and during nights or time of rain, al- 

 lowing the awning on the most northern side to come 

 close to the ground when necessary, to shelter them 

 from cold cutting winds. 



Tulips in every respect should have the same care 

 and protection, never neglecting to have the beds with 

 a smooth clean surface, and the stems neatly tied up, 

 although they are not in so much danger as Hyacinths. 



The properties of a good Hyacinth are, viz the 

 stem strong and erect, the florets or bells occupying 

 one half of the stem, each floret suspended by a short 

 strong footstalk, longest at the bottom, the uppermost 

 floret quite erect, so that the whole may form a pyra- 

 mid. Each floret well filled with petals rising towards 



