28 Practical Observations on the Cultivation 



consequently looks exactly as if it had been passed through a 

 fine sieve. All kinds of loam or stiff soil which bind so closely 

 together that, when dry, the wind cannot separate the particles 

 as it does sand, must be avoided. No kind of red, bluish, or 

 blackish soil will produce perfect hyacinths ; but one is consi- 

 dered particularly good, which is light grey, and which resembles 

 fine, very sandy, and light garden mould. This sand, which 

 is very light of itself, is "made still lighter by the addition of 

 the thin sand of the Dutch downs (Dlinensande), which is 

 of a pale yellow colour, very fine, and contains neither stones 

 nor gravel ; and, as this sand constitutes the principal part of 

 the mixture of soil, if nature denies us a supply of it at home, 

 we must search for it in other places, or try to prepare one like 

 it. Various soils have been used for this purpose, but the pre- 

 ference is given to a pale yellow river sand, to which is added a 

 third of leaf mould. The bed is then prepared by putting into 

 it a layer of cow-dung 1 in. thick, 5 or 6 inches under the bulbs, 

 and filling it in with the prepared soil. This cow-dung must 

 be quite pure, and not mixed with straw, or any other sub- 

 stance. 



The soil, in consequence of the annual dunging, becomes by 

 degrees too rich ; in which case, the best way is, to take out 

 some of the soil, and put in fresh sand. In Holland, however, 

 they do not take out any soil, but only add sand, because by 

 raisinir the bed, the danger of the water in the soil is avoided. 

 In that country they have much to contend with in keeping the 

 water from the soil; which circumstance must naturally occasion 

 a great variation in the art of cultivating the hyacinth in drier 

 soils. For example, in Holland, they dig the soil 5 or 6 feet 

 deep, which would be unnecessary were it not that by this 

 means the soil, which was stiff and sour from the water, becomes 

 drier and lighter, and therefore better adapted for the escape 

 of the injurious water and for evaporation. In countries where 

 no such accumulation of water is to be feared, the soil need 

 only be dug to the depth of 4 ft. or even 3 ft. 



As the cultivation of the hyacinth has not made such ad- 

 vances in any part of the world as in Holland, by describing 

 the soil, climate, and treatment of it in that country, it will en- 

 able those in other climates, with a use of their own understand- 

 ings, to practise the art. 



In preparing the soil, pai'ticular attention must be paid to two 

 rules : — 1. That, for the space of four years previously to plant- 

 ing, no horse-dung, nor any dung of a heating quality, must be 

 mixed with the soil. 2. That no hyacinths must be grown in 

 it oftener than once every four years. The latter rule must 

 be particularly attended to ; because, if planted a year earlier, 

 the decayed remains of the old bulbs would communicate the 



