90 CULTIVATION. 



largest offsets separated, which, with the bulb 

 and tally, are placed in their respective cells in 

 the drawer. In the drawers they are exposed to 

 the dry air of a room till all perceptible moisture 

 is dried up, when they are again placed in the 

 cabinet, to remain till planting- time. This or- 

 derly way of disposing the bulbs prevents all 

 confusion or chance of mixture, and saves much 

 trouble in papering and numbering in the com- 

 mon way. But, where the collection is not 

 named, the bulbs, when first taken up, may be 

 laid out of the way in any bye corner to ripen, 

 leaving the bed clear for any other purpose of the 

 flower-gardener. 



Where no bulb-case or cabinet is used, they 

 may be kept on dry shelves in moderate temper- 

 ature, either in paper or without. 



Collections of hyacinths are kept up by sup- 

 plies of offsets from the nursery-beds, or by pur- 

 chases from the seed-shops. Florists reckon that 

 one in twelve is lost every year by accidents, in- 

 sects, or disease. 



The properties of a fine double hyacinth. — ^The 



