H Y A 



H Y A 



are keeled, very narrow, a line or little more in 

 breatlth, rylindrical, on account of the weakness 

 of their petioles loose and decumbent, rolled 

 round and twisted in a variety of ways : the 

 scape a span high, blue under the flowers, com- 

 pressed at top, terminated by a closeglobularspike 

 or raceme of from forty to fifty flowers, of a 

 very dark blue, with a three-cornered white 

 mouth ; they are imbricated downwards, have 

 very short peduncles, a sweetish smell, somewhat 

 like new starch, or plums. It is a native of the 

 South of Europe ; flowering in April and May. 

 Mr. Curtis terms it Starch Hyacinth. 



Culture. — The first sort anil varieties are all in- 

 creased by planting the off- sets from the roots in 

 the manner of other bulbous-rooted perennial 

 plants; and by sowing the seed to produce new 

 varieties. 



They succeed best in a light soil, but will 

 prosper in any common earth, particularly in mo- 

 derate sandy ground, in a dry, open, sunny situ- 

 ation. These bulbs, if planted in strong or very 

 moist land, are apt to rot in winter, or become 

 diseased. Where, therefore, the soil of the 

 flower- borders or beds is of a strong heavy qua- 

 lity, the part designed for Hyacinths should 

 Lave light materials^such as any light sandyearih, 

 from the surface of some common or other place; 

 drift sea-sand, or any upper sandy soil, or light 

 earthy compost ; and where the soil of the bor- 

 ders, &c. is of a verv light, sharp, sandy nature, 

 a portion of light, mellow, loamy earth, and neat's 

 dung, or well rotted dung of old hot-beds, make 

 a line compost surface mould for the Hyacinth, 

 when mixed and laid on long enough before for 

 the dung to be converted into mould. 



The ground should be well wrought over as 

 a preparation for the plants, one spade deep at 

 least, raising the bed or border a little above the 

 general level to avoid moisture; and raking 

 the surface smooth and even. 



The florists mostly prepare a compost for their 

 rare kinds of Hyacinths, with light, sandy loam, 

 or any sandy earth from a pasture-Held, taking 

 only the top spit, ten or twelve inches deep, ad- 

 dmgabout one third, from the surface, to one of 

 drift or sea-sand, and the same quantity of rot- 

 ten neat's dung ; mixing the whole in a heap 

 ridge-ways, in some dry sunny exposure, to lie 

 several months, or if a year or more the better. 



To the above material, some also add a quan- 

 tity of rotten leaves of trees, thoroughly rotten 

 tanner's bark, or any perfectly rotten earthy wood, 

 or rotten saw-dust ; all of which together greatly 

 improve the composition: but aslhese are not 

 always readily obtained, the other compost is 

 frequently used with success. With these com- 

 posts a bed is prepared in the beginning of au- 



tumn, four feet wide and two deep, a cavity be- 

 ing dug out that width and depth, and filled up 

 entirely with the composition, six inches above 

 the common level, to allow for settling, leaving 

 it a fortnight or a month to settie ; when it is 

 ready for the reception of the bulbs. 



The curious in these plants never plant the fine 

 sort two years together in the same bed or earth, 

 without some previous renewal, as by planting 

 them every year in a fresh bed, or fresh prepared 

 compost, it greatly improves. the size and beauty 

 of the flowers. 



The proper season for planting them is chim- 

 in October, or the beginning of November; as 

 those then planted shoot early in spring, and flower 

 strong at their usual season; but those plant- 

 ed later in autumn, or continued out of ground 

 till January and February, for a late bloom, 

 flower weaker and with inferior beauty ; the 

 principal part should always be planted' in the 

 autumn. 



When any of the common kinds are intended 

 to be planted to adorn the open borders contigu- 

 ous to the principal walks, or lawns near the ha- 

 bitation, to increase the variety in assemblage 

 with other bulbous-rooted spring flowers, as 

 early Tulips, Narcissuses, Anemones, Ranun- 

 culuses, &c. they should be disposed towards the 

 front, more or less, in a varied order, in patches 

 of three roots in each, three or four inches deep; 

 and the patches mav be from about one yard to 

 three or four distance, letting them stand to take 

 their chance, without any further care. 



In planting the fine double sorts, four or five 

 rows may be planted on each bed lengthways, 

 about nine inches distant in each row, and about 

 four inches deep, either in drills drawn the above 

 depth, by dibble, or by bedding them in ; and as 

 soon as they are planted, in either method, the 

 surface of the bed should be raked smooth 

 and even. 



The bulbs being thus planted, the choicest 

 sorts should be protected in the beds occasionally 

 during winter, from severe frost. They may he 

 readily protected by a covering of straw, or 

 any kind of dry strawy litter, three or four 

 inches thick; or by arching the beds with hoops 

 or rods, or with moveable arched frames of open 

 work, covered with mats, the coverings being 

 immediately removed when not wanted. The 

 same caution should be continued in the spring. 



When the flower-stems arc advanced nearly 

 to their full height, it is proper to support them, 

 by placing a small stick, fifteen or eighteen 

 inches long, close to each plant, being careful 

 not to thrust it into the bulb, and to tie the 

 stems neat! v to each stick, by which the spikes of 

 flowers will be preserved in an upright position. 



