HYACINTHS 



399 



from, the best way is to plant in flats 3-in. deep, barely covering 

 the top of the bulbs with soil. Place the flats in a coldframe, but 

 instead of covering them with soil as you would for the Dutch stock, 

 place shade frames over them and keep them rather dark, never 

 allowing them to suffer for water. By the middle of October (or 

 before there is any danger of frost) bring the flats inside and place 

 them below a Violet bench; they may even go into a Carnation 

 house by early November. Active growth will soon appear and 

 most likely, if placed for a few days in a Rose house temperature 

 around the first of December, the plants will all be in full bloom by 

 December twenty-fifth. If, by early in December, the plants 

 haven't made several inches of growth a good way to hustle 

 things along is to place the flats on the hot water returns. Then 

 as soon as the buds are visible, remove them to the light. 



Romans, if lifted out of the flats, and even if deprived of all 

 their roots, will not show bad effects as long as you keep the soil 

 moist in the dishes or pans in which you use them. Let those 

 you want to have for January come along in a 50-deg. house; in 

 fact, the cooler it is the better. 



Fig. 181. HYACINTHS AND TULIPS. Hyacinths, though less satisfactory than Tulips 



for mass planting, their heavy flower spikes needing support, are so showy that 



they deserve a place wherever a Spring display is wanted. Back of those in the 



picture are some Keizerkroon Tulips 



