THE HYACINTH. 



I sometimes think that never blows so red 

 The rose as where some buried Ciesar bled; 

 That every hyacinth the garden wears 

 Dropt in her lap from some once lovely head. 



-Omar KJiayyatn. 



HYACINTH, also called Jacinth, 

 is said to be "supreme amongst 

 the flowers of spring." It was 

 in cultivation before 1597, and 

 is therefore not a new favorite. Gerard, 

 at the above date, records the existence 

 of six varieties. Rea, in 1676, mentions 

 several single and double varieties as 

 being then in English gardens, and Jus- 

 tice, in 1754, describes upwards of fifty 

 single-flowered varieties, and nearl}- 

 one hundred double-flowered ones, as a 

 selection of the best from the cata- 

 logues of two then celebrated Dutch 

 growers. One of the Dutch sorts, called 

 La Reine de Fe^nmcs, is said to have pro- 

 duced from thirty-four to thirty-eight 

 flowers in a spike, and on its first ap- 

 pearance to have sold for fifty guilders 

 a bulb. Others sold for even larger 

 sums. Justice relates that he himself 

 raised several very valuable double- 

 flowered kinds from seeds, which many 

 of the sorts he describes are noted for 

 producing freely. 



It is said that the original of the cul- 

 tivated hyacinth {Hyachitlms orientalis) 

 is by comparison an insignificant plant, 

 bearing on a spike only a few small, nar- 

 row-lobed, wash, blue flowers. So great 

 has been the improvement effected by 

 the florists that the modern hyacinth 

 would hardly be recognized as the de- 

 scendant of the type above referred to, 

 the spikes being long and dense, com- 

 posed of a large number of flowers; the 

 spikes not infrequently measure six or 

 seven inches in length and from seven 

 to nine inches in circumference, with 

 the flowers closely set on from bottom 

 to top. Of late years much improve- 

 ment has been effected in the size of 

 the individual flowers and the breadth 

 of their recurving lobes, as well as in 

 securing increased brilliancy and depth 

 of color. The names of hyacinths are 

 now almost legion, and of all colors, 

 carmine red, dark blue, lilac-pink, blu- 



ish white, indigo-blue, silvery-pink, rose, 

 yellow, snow-white, azure-blue. The 

 bulbs of the hyacinths are said to be as 

 near perfection as can be; and if set 

 early in well-prepared soil, free from 

 all hard substances, given , plenty of 

 room, and mulched with leaves and 

 trash, which should be removed in the 

 spring, they will be even more beauti- 

 ful than any description can indicate.' 

 When potted for winter bloom in the 

 house, good soil, drainage, and space 

 must be given to them and they must 

 be kept moist and cool, as well as in 

 the dark while forming roots prepara- 

 tory to blooming. After they are 

 ready to bloom they do best in rooms 

 having -a southern exposure, as they 

 will need only the warmth of the sun- 

 light to perfect them. The hyacinth 

 does not tolerate gas and artificial heat. 

 There is a pretty legend connected 

 with the hyacinth. Hyacinthus was a 

 mythological figure associated with the 

 hyacinthia, a festival celebrated by the 

 Spartans in honor of Apollo of Amyclae, 

 whose primitive image, standing on a 

 throne, is described by Pausanias. The 

 legend is to the effect that Hyacinthus, 

 a beautiful youth beloved by the god, 

 was accidentally killed by him with a 

 discus. From his blood sprang a dark- 

 colored flower called after him hya- 

 cinth, on whose petals is the word "alas." 

 The myth is one of the many popular 

 representations of the beautiful spring 

 vegetation slain by the hot sun of sum- 

 mer. The sister of Hyacinthus is Poly- 

 boca, the much-nourishing fertility of 

 the rich Amyclaean valley; while his 

 brother is Cynortas, the rising of the 

 dog (the hot) star. But with the death 

 of the spring is united the idea of its 

 certain resuscitation in a new year. 

 The festival took place on the three 

 hottest days of summer, and its rites 

 were a mixture of mourning and rejoic- 

 ing. C. C. M. 



191 



