THE DTACiNTH.] PEACTICE OF H ORTI C ULTUEE. 



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divided into three classes — the hardy, the half- 

 hardy, and the tender. The first are sown at 

 once in the ground assigned to them ; the 

 second, if wished to succeed well, should be, at 

 first, assisted bj a sliglit hot-bed, and then 

 transplanted into the open air. The tender 

 should be kept in pots, and cherished, as store 

 or green-house plants, which is the treatment 

 more properly belonging to them. It is 

 hardly necessary to remark that the two 

 former may be grown either in patches or in 

 beds, and should be subjected to all the rules 

 which apply to the disposition of common 

 border flowers. Many new annuals have, 

 within a few years, been introduced into this 

 country ; and doubtless, at no distant period, 

 this will be the case with many more. 



FLORISTS' FLOWERS 



The flowers of the practical florist are, as 

 might be expected, certain favourites to which 

 that class of gardeners have devoted a large 

 share of their attention. They comprise the 

 Hyacinth, the Tulip, the Ranunculus, the 

 Lily, Anemone, Narcissus, Dahlia, Auricula, 

 Polyanthus, Carnation, and some others. We 

 will devote a few remarks to each of these. 



THE HYACINTH. 



This flower is originally from the Levant, 

 where it grows abundantly ; and is possessed 

 of great beauty, associated with a delightful 

 perfume. In form, it bears some resemblance to 

 the common harebell ; and in the East it has 

 long been a favourite. It is scarcely credible 

 ■what an enthusiast in particular flowers will 

 give for a single bulb of his favourite. The 

 catalogues of the Haarlem florists were wont 

 to enumerate 2,000 sorts of hyacinths, some 

 of which have been bought at £200 per bulb. 

 They have now, however, diminished in variety, 

 as well as in price ; and are either single, 

 semi-double, or double. A perfect flower of 

 this sort is thus described by Mr. Glenny, in 

 Ilia work on The Properties of Flowers and 

 Plants : — " Each pip or flower should be 

 round, and not ragged. The petals should be 

 broad, thick, and round at the ends, not 

 ]ioiiited, and reflex enough to throw up the 

 centre well. The foot-stalk should be strong, 

 and hold the flower out stiff in a vertical 

 position, and by no means weak, to allow the 

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pip to bang with the face sloping downwards. 

 The foot-stalk should be of a length to make 

 the pips touch, and no more. The pips should 

 be large, and the flowers close on the stem. 

 Double flowers should have the rows of petals 

 above each other very regularly imbricated, so 

 as to throw up the centre. The spike should 

 be bold, round, compact, and pyramidal. The 

 flower should be very strong, and diminishing 

 to a single flower at top. The flower-stem 

 should be very strong and upright, and no 

 part of it should be seen, in consequence of 

 the closeness of the pips to each other. The 

 colours should be bright, clear, and dense, 

 whatever the shade ; and any better approach 

 to scarlet, blue, or yellow, than those shades 

 we now possess, would be highly esteemed." 



The proper soil for the culture of the 

 hyacinth is one that is rich, light, and sandy. 

 The best compost is, perhaps, that used by 

 the Dutch, which consists of one-third of 

 coarse sea or river sand ; one-third of rotten 

 cowdung, without litter; and one third of 

 leaf mould. The natural soil is removed to 

 an extent of, at least, a couple of feet deep, 

 and the vacant space is filled up with the 

 compost, previously well mixed. It is said 

 that these ingredients retain their nutritive 

 properties for six or seven years, although the 

 Dutch do not plant hyacinths in the same 

 place two years successively. In the alternate 

 vears, they plant it with the crocus and 

 narcissus. About the 25th of October is the 

 best time to plant the bulbs. 



THE TULIP. 



This gorgeous flower is, also, a native of 

 the East, and was introduced into Europe 

 about the middle of the sixteenth century. 

 The properties of a fine late tulip, as given by 

 Mr. Glenny, are these:— "The cup should, 

 when quite expanded, form from half to a 

 third of a hollow ball. To do this the petals 

 must be six in number; broad at the ends, 

 smooth at the edges, and the divisions between 

 the petals scarcely to show an indenture. 

 The three inner petals should set close to the 

 three outer ones, and all being so close as to 

 show no openings between them. The petals 

 should be smooth, thick, and stiff", and should 

 keep their form well. The ground colour 

 should be clear and distinct, whether white or 



