H Y A 



H Y A 



When in bloom, the curious softs may be 

 preserved much longer in beauty, by being 

 screened occasionally from the sun and rain, by 

 a sort of awning or umbrella of mats or canvass ; 

 they should however be shaded only from the 

 mid-day sun, from about ten to three or four 

 o'clock, and only from excessive rains and 

 boisterous winds. 



But when the flowers begin to fade, all cover- 

 ing should be entirely removed, that the bulbs 

 and increasing off-sets may derive all possible 

 benefit from the free air, dews, &c. 



When the season of flowering is over, the bulbs 

 should be taken up, which in the florists' language 

 is called lifting the roots. The fine sorts should 

 be taken up at this period, to separate off-sets 

 for increase, as well as to benefit the main bulbs, 

 which will always flower stronger than such as 

 are suffered to remain two or more years unre- 

 moved. 



The proper time for this work is in summer, 

 soon after they have done flowering, when their 

 leaves begin to turn yellow, as then the 

 bulbs have had their full growth for that sea- 

 son, and should by no means remain longer in 

 the ground. 



Dry weather should be chosen, and atrowel, or 

 small spade, is proper for lifting them, taking them 

 up one by one, and breaking off the stem within 

 an inch or two of its origin ; then laying them in an 

 airy room, out of the mid-day sun, to dry off 

 the gross moisture very gradually, and to ripen 

 the bulbs to a due hardness, when they appear 

 of a purplish tinge ; otherwise they are apt 

 to rot. 



When the bulbs are properly hardened and 

 ripened, they should be taken up and separated 

 from any off-sets, well cleared from earth, loose 

 skins, and fibres at bottom ; then, after expos- 

 ing them a few hours in the sun, put up in 

 boxes singly, or upon dry shelves out of the 

 sun, to remain till the season for planting them 

 again. 



All the off-sets appearing about the main 

 bulbs at the lifting season, are to be carefully 

 separated from them, either as soon as they are 

 taken up, or after the bulbs have lain to ripen, 

 being kept separate, and planted in the early au- 

 tumn, in beds by themselves, in rows six inches 

 aaunder, and two or three deep, where they should 

 remain a year or two; then be taken up at the 

 proper lifting season in summer, and managed 

 as the large blowing roots. 



Inraisingthese bulbs from seed, which is prac- 

 tised by the curious, to obtain new varieties, to 

 increase their stock; from the time of sowing, it 

 will be four or five years before the bulbs pro- 

 duce flowers : the seed ripens in the summer, 



which may easily be saved, by suffering some of 

 the finest singles and half doubles to stand to 

 ripen it in perfection. 



The proper season for sowing it is [in the 

 beginning of autumn; when the plants will 

 come up in the spring following. It grows 

 freely in the open ground, in a bed or border of 

 light earth ; but when no great quantity is to he 

 sown, it may be put into pots or boxes, which 

 will be convenient to move occasionally to dif- 

 ferent situations at different seasons. In either 

 method choose rich light earth, making the sur- 

 face smooth, sowing the seeds evenly, and 

 covering them an inch or an inch and a half^ 

 deep : if they are sown in pots or boxes, let those 

 be plunged to their rims in a dry place, and in 

 November remove them either under a hot-bed 

 frame to have occasional shelter in winter, or 

 cover them at the approach of hard frost with 

 some light dry litter, using the same precaution 

 as for those sown in beds ; but let them be fully 

 exposed in all mild weather. 



When they appear in the spring, first with 

 very small leaves, they should be kept very clean 

 from weeds, sifting a little earth over the bed in 

 autumn, and in winter use the same precaution 

 as before. In the second summer, when their 

 leaves begin to decay, take up the young bulbs, 

 to be planted out in nursery-beds, which may be 

 done in August or September, planting them in 

 small drills two inches deep, having the drills 

 three or four inches asunder. In this situation 

 they may stand two years, sifting half an inch 

 of earth over the surface in autumn, and giving 

 occasional coverings in winter : after this they 

 are to be taken up at the usual lifting-season, and 

 managed as the other bulbs, and planted in au- 

 tumn where they are to flower. 



The other species are capable of being in- 

 creased readily, by planting the off-sets in the 

 same manner as above, which all the sorts pro- 

 duce in great plenty, and which may be taken 

 up every second or third year when the leaves 

 decay, and the off-sets be separated and managed 

 in the manner as the first sorts. 



Blowing them in Water Glasses. — These 

 bulbs may be brought to flower in winter 

 and spring, by placing them in root-glasses 

 of water, or in pots, or small boxes of sand, 

 or light, dry, sandy earth, in the early au- 

 tumn, and placing them in a warm apartment, 

 or in a green- or hot-house; in all of which 

 they will blow very agreeably, earlier or later in 

 the above seasons, according to the lime the 

 bulbs are planted and introduced. 



The glasses for this purpose are sold at the 

 glass-shops, and many of the principal seed- 

 shops and nurseries, at from live to nine shil- 



