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Sbptembeb 23, 1915. 



The Florists' Review 



»» 



HYACINTHS FOB OHBISTMAS. 



From Holland-arown Bulbs. 



An increasing demand for Dutch hya- 

 cinths at Christmas, together with more 

 or less unsatisfactory results obtained 

 with French and German-grown bulbs, 

 induced the Holland growers to experi- 

 ment, with the result that, under cul- 

 tural methods as explained by C. P. 

 Moerlands, professor at the winter 

 school of agriculture at Naaldwijk, Hol- 

 land, they are now able to offer to the 

 growers hyacinth bulbs from which 

 Christmas blooms may be reasonably 

 expected. 



In his directions, Mr. Moerlands first 

 explains the planting, harvesting, cur- 

 ing and storing of the bulbs, as 

 these processes have a most impor- 

 tant influence on the quality, earli- 

 ness and appearance of the flowers. 

 The culture which the French early 

 bulbs undergo, and the climatic condi- 

 tions under which they aire grown, 

 must be artiflcially applied. Barns and 

 warehouses must be heated to the tem- 

 perature prevailing in southern France 

 during harvesting and curing time. 



This entails much extra labor and 

 expense, which naturally will make tbo 

 initial cost of the treated or prepared 

 bulbs slightly higher than those grown 

 under the usual conditions. There is, 

 however, little doubt that as soon as 

 the forcer of the prepared Christmas- 

 flowering hyacinth bulbs has been con* 

 vinced of their superior fitness for the 

 purpose, they will be welcomed by all. 



How to Treat the Bulbs. 



Upon receipt, the bulbs should be un- 

 packed immediately and be kept as cool 

 as possible, to allow them to breathe 

 and sweat. Preferably, they should be 

 laid out in a dry, cool, airy and sunny 

 place. 



The bulbs should be potted early. 

 One bulb in a 3'/^.-inch or 4-inch pot 

 will bring the best results. Clean pots 

 that have been used are preferable to 

 new pots. If the latter must be used, 

 see that they are watered thoroughly, 

 as this will prevent injury to the tender 

 roots. Through baking, the clay in the 

 new pot has lost the power to resist 

 the absorption of such biting sub- 

 stances as alkali through the roots. It 

 is for this reason that watering of now 

 pots is essential. 



The soil used for the potting of the 

 bulbs should be light and sandy, and 

 the use of fresh manure must b« avoid* 

 ed. It would be well to prepare in 

 advance the ground in which the pots 

 are to be plunged, as the digging in 

 should not be delaye<1. This soil mast 

 also be quite light, to insure drainage. 

 To prevent heaving, the cover should 

 be of about the same thickness as when 

 planting hyacinths in an outdoor bed. 



The period following the digging in 

 of the pots is highly important to the 



growth. Moisture and temperature play 

 an important part in securing earliness 

 of bloom. ^I^ought is fatal and, if 

 there are fe# rains, artificial water- 

 ing may be necessary. Great care 

 should be exercised to see that the soil 

 in which the pots are plunged is thor- 

 oughly moistened, if too dry. The use 

 of manure for covering is positively 

 detrimental. Even old manure, when 

 wet, will let its juices filter through 

 and injure the tender roots. 



The Scandinavian and Russian 

 method of early preparation appears, 

 from past results, *'to be the best. Un- 

 der this method the pots are stacked in 

 a cellar or barn in pyramid fashion. 

 All empty spaces are filled with loose 

 soil and a covering of six to eight 

 inches of soil is placed on top and on 

 tne sides. A temperature of not less 

 than 45 degrees is maintained. The 

 pots may in a similar manner be put 

 in coldframes, filling the frames to the 

 top with soil and covering this with 

 boards. In this case the pots may be 

 dug up early in November and placed 

 in a dark, cool spot. 



The Forcing Period. 

 The actual forcing should not begin 

 until a healthy root-growth appears and 

 the noses of the bulbs have reached a 

 length of two or two and one-half 

 inches. The bulbs should have reached 

 this stage during the latter part of No- 

 vember, when they may be taken into 

 warmer surroundings. Great care roust 

 be taken that the plants are not ex- 

 posed to sudden changes in tempera- 

 ture. Therefore, if the pots were dug 

 in somewhere outdoors, the transfer to 



the greenhouse or forcing frame should 

 be made quickly and under protection 

 of mild weather. It is a good idea to 

 leave a layer of soil on the pot when 

 the work is being executed, so that the 

 noses arc well protected. 



The difference in treatment between 

 the Roman and the Dutch prepared 

 hyacinths in the succeeding period lies 

 in the forcing of the latter with bot- 

 tom heat and of the former without 

 bottom heat and under light. The 

 Christmas - flowering Dutch hyacinths 

 should be treated similarly to lily of 

 the valley in forcing. They should be 

 kept in a warm, moist temperature, 

 without light. It is beneficial, there- 

 fore, to place the pots, upon trans- 

 ferring them from the outside to the 

 greenhouse, on bottom heat, covering 

 them with sand or with pots turned up- 

 side down. The bottom heat will cause 

 the roots to absorb great quantities of 

 moisture and the covering of the noses 

 makes it easier for the grower to keep 

 that moisture within. When the stem 

 under the bells has reached a length of 

 one and one-half to two inches, some 

 of the sand may be removed, about to 

 the rim of the pot, but they should 

 still be kept in the dark, in a tempera- 

 ture of about 70 degrees. In 'ten or 

 twelve days the bells will start to color, 

 when they may be gradually brought 

 into light. It shouhl be understood, 

 however, that sudden exposure to light 

 would cause the bells to remain green. 

 When in full bloom the plants should 

 be removed to cooler quarters, where 

 they Will increase in size and improve 

 in lasting qualities. Lecbner Bros. 



BOOTS BOTTBD IN BENCH. 



I am forwarding you some carnation 

 plants and soil. Please tell me why the 

 tarnations rotted as soon as they were 

 planted. The soil is a compost of 

 four parts sod and one part strawy ma- 

 nsbrey cfomposted- ten months antl ttrmed 

 twice. We planted carnations in the 

 same soil last season and lost none. 

 The plants were healthy in the field 

 this season. Please tell us what is the 

 cause of the trouble. Is it in the 

 soil or in the plantsf If in the soil, 

 what does the soil contain that is in- 

 juriousf If in the plants, what is the 



remedy f The carnations did not grow 

 at all. H. 0. H. & S.— Tex. 



On accoujit of lack of data, it is im- 

 possible to tell you the cause of your 

 carnation plants dying the way they 

 ace. I feek svre, boNirev*?, tkat-tto 

 fault is neither with the soil nor with 

 the plants. 



I potted one of onr own earnatilHi 

 plants in the soil submitted, and al* 

 though it has been potted only six 

 days, the young roots ar* showing 

 through the ride ot tb« mkL ComUbt^ 

 ing that it is a rather dense soil, this 

 is all that could be expected. The 



