Chap. X. FLO'WERS. 395 



in 1G29, eiglit varieties. Now the varieties are very mimerous, and 

 they were still more uunicrous a century ago. Mr. Paul remarks 

 that " it is interesting to compare the Hyacinths of IGSU witli those 

 " of 1861, and to mark the improvement. Two hundred and thirty- 

 " five years have elapsed since then, and this simple flower serves 

 " well to illustrate the great fact that the original forms of nature 

 " do not remain fixed and stationary, at least v^hen brought under 

 " cultivation. While looking at the extremes, we must not, how- 

 " ever, forget that there are intermediate stages which are for the 

 " most part lost to us. Nature will sometimes indulge herself 

 " with a leap, but as a rule her march is slow and gradual." He 

 adds that the cultivator should have " in his mind an ideal of 

 " beauty, for tlie realisation of which he works with head and 

 " hand.'' We thus see how clearly Mr. Paul, an eminently success- 

 ful cultivator of this flower, appreciates the action of methodical 

 selection. 



In a curious and apparently trustworthy treatise, published at 

 Amsterdam ^'-"^ in 1768, it is stated that nearly 2,000 sorts were then 

 known ; but in 1861 Mr. Paul found only 700 in the largest garden 

 at Haarlem. In this treatise it is said that not an instance is 

 known of any one variety reproducing itself truly by seed : the 

 white kinds, however, now ^■" almost always yield white hyacinths, 

 and. the yellow kinds come nearly true. The hyacinth is remark- 

 able from having given rise to varieties with bright blue, pink, and 

 distinctly yellow flowers. These three ijrimary colours do not 

 occur in the varieties of any other species ; nor do they often all 

 occur even in the distinct species of the same genus. Although the 

 several kinds of hyacinths dift'er but slightly from each other except 

 in colour, yet each kind has its own individual character, which 

 can be recognised by a highly educated eye ; thus the writer of the 

 Amsterdam treatise asserts (p. 43) that some experienced florists, 

 such as the famous G. Voorhelm, seldom failed in a collection of 

 above twelve hundred sorts to recogni.se each variety by the biilb 

 alone ! This same writer mentions some few singular variations : 

 for instance, the hyacinth commonly produces six leaves, but there 

 is one kind (p. 35) which scarcely ever has more than three leaves ; 

 another never more than five; whilst others regularly ]:iroduce 

 either seven or eight leaves. A variety, called la Coryphee, in- 

 variably produces (p. 116) two flower-stems, united together and 

 covered by one skin. The flower-stem in another kind (p. 128) 

 comes out of the ground in a coloured sheath, before the appearance 

 of the leaves, and is consequently liable to suffer from frost. 

 Another variety always pushes a second flower-stem after the first 

 has begun to develop itself. Lastly, white hyacinths with red, 

 purple, or violet centres (p. 129) are the most liable to rot. Thus, 



'^^ ' Des Jacinthes, de leiir Ana- ''' Alph. de CandoUe, ' Gt'ograph. 



tomie, Reproduct li.-., et Culture,' Bot.,' p. 1082 

 Amsterdam, 1768 



