30 Cultivation of the Hyacinth in Haarlem. 



3d. The rot is easily known when it is once fairly begun. It is 

 generally found in the scales near the heart of the bulb; and, to 

 discover it, the point of the bulb should be cut off horizontally 

 with a sharp knife. If the bulb is affected with this disease, a 

 yellowish or brownish stripe will be seen between the scales; 

 and all the part thus discoloured should be cut away, till it is 

 completely eradicated; but when it reaches farther than the 

 half of the bulb, it is past remedy, and the bulb must be thrown 

 away. Great care, however, must be taken, in cutting off the 

 point of the bulb, not to injure the germ which has formed in- 

 side it; and when this is likely to be the case, the cuts ought to 

 be made not horizontally, but in a slanting direction towards the 

 point of the bulb ; so as not to run any risk of cutting off the ex- 

 tremity of the incipient flower. It frequently happens that these 

 stripes are but very little distinguished from the colour of the 

 healthy part of the bulb ; and, therefore, great attention is ne- 

 cessary, that they may not be overlooked. When two, three, 

 or more stripes are seen round the heart of the bulb, it is ge- 

 nerally past recovery ; but if they are found far from the heart, 

 and consequently near the outer scales, they can all be cut away, 

 with the exception of such as have reached the stool and at- 

 tacked it. Above all, care must be taken that neither the 

 germ nor the stool of the bulb are injured ; but all parts round 

 them can be cut away. 



4th. Tlie mould is only found on the outer or inner part of 

 the first four scales, and it is not considered a dangerous disease, 

 but must be removed by taking off those scales that are attacked. 



5th. Consumption or wasting is indicated by never-varying 

 yellowish or brownish spots in the scales near the heart. This 

 disease is not exactly a dangerous one, but is rather an indica- 

 tion of a weak flower, which is very frequently the case with 

 several sorts ; for example, the Grand Vainqueur, Staaten Ge- 

 neral, &c. These spots might go through the whole bulb with- 

 out being injurious, therefore they are not to be compared with 

 the stripes of the disease called the rot. 



6th. Shrinking (Verkrlippelung) is indicated by spots similar 

 to those above mentioned, only they are much larger. This dis- 

 ease generally draws the whole bulb in a slanting direction, and 

 a part of it appears as if eaten out. The bulb loses its usual 

 round form. This is similar to the disease called wasting, but 

 in a greater degree, and is with great difficulty got rid of; 

 therefore, if you wish to have good strong plants, it is better 

 to throw those away that are attacked with this disease. 



7th. Excess of offsets (Durchwachs) only takes place in bulbs 

 capable of producing flowers. The offsets come out at the 

 sides, or through the stool or plate, and the parent bulb becomes 

 divided into a number of young ones. When this is the case, 



