AMERICAN HOME GARDEN. 449 



this case the bulb should be left about one third uncovered, 

 and the pots be set in a cool place, so that the growth may not 

 be forced hastily. After they start they may be kept warm, 

 needing only ordinary care, except that while blooming they 

 should have plenty of water constantly in the saucers. 



The Hyacinth, and also sometimes the Narcissus, is bloom- 

 ed by house culture in water, in deep glasses known as bulb- 

 glasses. These are filled, and the bottom of the bulb placed 

 so as that it just and scarcely touches the water into which its 

 roots descend, and the flower-stem is soon thrown up. The 

 only precautions necessary are to start the growth slowly and 

 at a low temperature, gradually raising it to ordinary house 

 warmth (65), and keeping it pretty even ; change the water 

 every three or four days, taking care that what you put in is 

 as warm as that which you throw out. It is a highly exhaust- 

 ive process, which can not be successfully repeated upon the 

 same root for several years ; but if such roots, after their blos- 

 soms decay, are thrown into water and allowed to remain un- 

 til the leaves die, the roots, after being dried, may be planted 

 in the open ground in the fall ; but to reproduce a fine large 

 bulb, the blossom stems for one or two years must be broken 

 off as they start, just as what are called rare-ripe onions are 

 raised of marketable size by breaking out the seed-pipes. 



TULIPS may be planted and arranged precisely as above di- 

 rected for Hyacinths in the open ground ; but, instead of or- 

 dinary bulbous-root compost, the soil of the tulip-bed should 

 be almost exclusively good surface loam, the sod being chop- 

 ped and rotted, with one third road- wash or sand, and, if a 

 little manure is added, let it be perfectly-rotted cow-manure, 

 and dig it deeply in. Whenever there is special danger from 

 mice or moles, hardy bulbs may be planted in pretty large pots, 

 sunk where they are intended to bloom, which may either be 

 taken up after the blooming or remain over. 



As soon as the flower falls, snap off the seed-vessel to aid the 

 growth of the bulb. 



Tulips have a habit of change, technically called running, 

 in which the striping and brightness of the flower disappear 

 in one dull muddy color, while the roots become multiplied and 



