274 ^^^ Gardener's New Director. 



In Augiiji or September, I removed the mould from the 

 cow-dung beds, as at that time the crops railed on 

 them would be taken off; I then tofled the dung over 

 and over, as I perceived it to want moulding, and in 

 winter, when the froft fet in, I laid it out pretty thin, to 

 be perfe6tly well rotted againll Aprils when I mixed it 

 with the other materials, in the following proportions; 

 viz.. Two fixth parts of the earlh and fand, which by 

 this time were well incorporated, and feemed of a 

 blackifh fallow ; three fixth parts of tliis well rotted 

 cow-dung ; and one fixth of the rotted tan, or leaves of 

 trees ; and when thefe were well mixed, I riddled it very 

 fine : I alfo referved a large heap of the rotted cow- 

 dung, as it is much ufed in renewing the beds ; a quantity 

 of this dung I put into the beds I had made up for the 

 flowering roots, and at fuch a depth, as might be with- 

 in reach of their fibres, which is of great fervice to them 

 whilft they are in bloom, and even afterwards, by ena- 

 bling them to re-furnilh themfelves with ftrong bold 

 leaves. Hems and flowers, for the enfuing year; the neg- 

 leQ: of this compofl:, and omitting annually to make up 

 the beds, as is here directed, 1 can aflure my readers, is 

 one of the chief caufes, if not the fole one, that occa- 

 fions Hyacinths to degenerate in Britain ; and this I aver 

 from a«5lual experience. The compoft I have prefcribed 

 mulT: be finely riddled, (notwithflanding what others may 

 fay to the contrary) as it is neceflary it fliould be as fine 

 as meal or flour, that every fibre of the Hyacinth may be 

 invted into it, and to breed new ones, as on their mul- 

 tiplicity depends all your fuccefs. 



I fliall now dire8: their propagation by feed ; the befl: 

 time for fowing of which is about the latter end of 6V/>- 

 tembery when you muft be provided with boxes of good 

 timber, two feet and an half in breadth, and about tour 

 in length, with many holes in their bottoms, to be co- 

 vered with the moll: concave oyfter-fhells, to allow the 

 moifture to pafs off freely ; thefe boxes mufl: be eight 

 inches deep in the front, rifing to ten in the rear, that 

 the water may run off more freely from their wooden 

 covers in winter, which is preferable to placing them 

 under hot-bed frames, or any other covering. Thcfc 

 boxes muft have feet of fiX inches high, and fuflficient- 



