THE HYACINTH. 77 



and the same autumn the cross-cuts will open pretty wide, 

 and send out young bulbs at the cut scales. They must be 

 planted in this state by themselves, and, the next year, are 

 separated and trimmed. While they are increasing in size, 

 very little foliage, or none at all, appears on the surface of 

 the beds, as the old bulb has no longer any influence, and 

 the young ones only exert their strength towards their own 

 increase. 



By Hollowing. This is usually done in August, if the 

 weather is dry. The manner is as follows : Place the 

 thumb on the root-end of the bulb, and cut round it with a 

 sharp knife, hollowing out the plate, or root-end, as far as 

 the middle of the bulb ; and, when the knife has passed in a 

 circular direction round the bulb, be careful to take it out 

 again where the incision began ; or rather so make the cut, 

 that the plate, extending half-way into the bulb, may fall 

 out of itself. As this operation causes a great deal of moist- 

 ure to flow from the bulb, and there is danger of rot, it 

 should not be undertaken in moist weather. The hollowed- 

 out part of the bulb should not be touched, but be placed on 

 dry sand on a board, and turned to the sun. After lying 

 some time, the heart, which extends as far as the point of 

 the bulb, and which was not removed when the bulb was 



