44 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894. 



inches deep, to be lifted early iu the following Summer. They throw 

 up a few stray leaves only, all their strength going into the bulblets. 

 Bulbs so propagated are fit to sell in four years ; they are then at 

 theu' best and will deteriorate afterwards, becoming divided and 

 entirely useless for sale. 



There are two methods of cutting practised to obtain a great number 

 of bulbs from one. Some scoop out the whole of the base of the old 

 bulbs and so attain their object. Others cut the bulbs in two or three 

 pieces and get an enormous numl^er of very small bulbs, which will 

 not be at their best till grown up six years. 



Hyacinth culture in Holland is by no means a pastime. They 

 require great care at every stage, particularly those which are to be 

 sold in the Fall. These when lifted from the ground are laid, with 

 roots and leaves still on, on shelves and covered with dry sand for 

 about ten days. This care is necessary to give the bulbs that fine, 

 clean appearance and thorough ripeness and solidity which is desira- 

 ble. They are then cleaned and carried in padded baskets to their 

 place in the magazine. There they must be watched and cared for, 

 dry rot or other disease often attacking them, particularly after a wet 

 Spring. Most of the hyacinths leave Holland in August. They are 

 shipped in immense numbers to Russia, Germany, France, America, 

 and England. On account of the laws regarding phylloxera, none are 

 admitted into either Italy or Spain. In England they are very popu- 

 lar as window plants. One grower for Covent Garden Market last 

 year planted 50,000 bulbs. With the people here they are sure to be 

 popular, when it becomes generally known that little skill is required 

 in their cultivation, if supplied with plenty of water and fresh, cool air. 



Hyacinths in Holland are never allowed to freeze in the beds dur- 

 ing Winter. They are covered with straw to the depth of six inches 

 and keep rooting all Winter. The climate is, of course, much milder 

 than ours, 20 degrees of frost being considered Siberian weather. 



With tulips, as with hyacinths, new varieties are obtained from 

 seed. Selfs of the purest color are used for crossing, and only those 

 of the most perfect form of flower. 



All the varieties of tulips in commerce are increased by offsets. A 

 number of these are usually found at the base of each mature bulb 

 after flowering, also one or two large flowering bulbs. These flower- 

 ing bulbs lie close to the stem and are usually marked by it. In this 

 way one can almost certainly distinguish flowering bulbs. Tulips are 

 lifted from the bed as soon as their leaves turn yellow. If allowed to 

 stand longer the bulbs get soft and the skins come off. Under some 



