one or two of each color to the sitting, or the dining-room, for special occasions, hut always 



returned to their cool quarters for the night. By this method they not only flower well, but keep 



in bloom a long time. Change the water occasionally, if 

 it becomes discolored. The choice named varieties grow 

 best in glasses and pots, and single are more reliable 

 than double sorts for house-culture, while they are in every 

 respect as desirable. Some of the double sorts do well in 

 the house, but the selection of varieties should be left to 

 those who have some knowledge of their habits. 



Hyacinths should be planted in the garden in Septem- 

 ber, October or November. For beds of early flowers 

 on the lawn, nothing excels the Hyacinth. Where beds 

 are small and so near together that they can all be seen at 

 once, it is well to fill each one with a separate color. 

 Plant Hyacinths in the garden from three to four inches 

 below the surface of the soil, and in ground likely to be 

 much affected by freezing and thawing, be sure to give a 

 i good covering before severe frosts. Hyacinth flowers may 

 i be cut freely, without injury to the bulbs. Indeed, all flower 

 stalks should be removed as soon as the flowers begin to 

 fade. In about five or six weeks after flowering, and when 

 the leaves are becoming yellow, the bulbs may be taken 

 up, dried, and 

 packed away 

 iii paper bags 

 or boxes, for 

 planting again 

 in the fall. If 

 the beds are 

 needed for 

 other flowers, 

 as is generally 



the case, the bulbs may be removed in about two 



weeks after the flowers have faded. In this case, after 



removing the flower stems, if this has not been done 



before, place the bulbs on a dry bed in the garden, and 



cover them with a little earth, leaving the leaves 



exposed. Here they can remain until the leaves have 



ripened, when they are ready to be packed away for 



fall planting, or can remain where they are until 



needed. 



Hyacinths will usually commence flowering in this 



latitude the latter part of April, and by choosing the 



Early and Late varieties, a good show of blossoms 



can be secured for about three weeks if the weather 



is not too hot and dry. The Late varieties are mostly ; 



double, and are from one to two weeks later than the 



Early sorts. The Low sorts throw up a stem five or 



six inches in height, and the trusses are usually globu- 

 lar and compact. The Tall sorts have a flower stem 



from six to ten inches or more in height, and the 



trusses are usually more loose. The Roman Hyacinth is a very early flowering, white variety, 



that comes into bloom about the Holidays, and therefore is very popular with florists for cut flowers. 



The spikes are small, the flowers somewhat scattering, but each bulb gives several spikes, usually. 



130 



SINGLE HYACINTH. 



DOUBLE HYACINTH. 



