272 The Gardener's New Director 



rofe-colourcd ; I ftiall proceed to ofl'er my pra6^ice of 

 managing tlie roots of thofe flowers which carry feed, 

 the method of fowing their feed, and cuhivating them, 

 until they fliow their blofibms, in which I had moft ex- 

 traordinary fiiccefs. 



As loon as you perceive the feed-veflels of the Hya- 

 cinth forming, you then may judge what roots {hould re- 

 main for {tiiA, and what are to be fooner taken cut of 

 the ground. Such as are to {^tA, mufl: be looked over 

 twice every day, as foon as their feed-veflels begin to 

 open, and fhew their feeds, fome black, and feme brown, 

 in order that the whole of the feed may be preferved. 

 Thefe feeds, when firft gathered, are very clammy ; 

 ■wherefore, to prevent their moulding, let them be fpread 

 on paper, in large boxes, and in an airy place, not ex- 

 polcd to the fun, where they may lie fome days to dry, 

 then to be put into paper bags, and laid in fome airy 

 piace for two or three weeks, before fowing. 



Direflions for making the CompoJI for the Oriental Hya 

 ' cinth, i5c, 



THE few general rules I fl^.all lay down for cultivat- 

 ing flowers, will anfwer the fuccefs dcfired, if care- 

 fully atrer.ced to. — In the firfl: place, a compcfl is to be 

 prepared fcr them, for wl/ich I fhail give very particular 

 dire8inns. And, fccondly, to give them this comport 

 arnually, to take them up in a proper time, every year 

 as foon as their bloom is over; in winter to cover them, 

 in fuch a manner, as that their tender fibres will be pro- 

 tefted from the Won. And, laftly, when they are in 

 bloom, to cover them ir. fuch a manner, as ihat their 

 ftcms may net be drawn, or the-r blofibms fnoiled by the 

 injuries of tlie weather. The compofi: \ prepaf-ed for 

 them is as follows: From the month of fune to that of 

 November^ I gathered from the paflures what cow-dung 

 I could. (Horfe-dun;?, though very well rotted, is not 

 proper for Uyacintbi, nor any bulbous-rooted flower.) 

 And that from paftures is preferable to that collcf^ed 

 from the covv-houfc; the firil, when frefli gathered, 



fooner 



