as practised at Haarlem in Holland, 83 



ing; and in general, when you have been so unfortunate as to 

 plant in too stiff a soil (which may be known by the luxuriance 

 of the leaves), it is better to take the bulbs up before they have 

 done growing, as they would be sure to become wrinkled, and 

 perhaps mouldy, afterwards. 



November and December. — - These are the principal operations 

 for hyacinths during the month of October ; and during Novem- 

 ber the same may be continued, if not finished in October. 

 The weeds, also, must be all taken out from those beds where 

 the bulbs are planted ; and the beds must then be nicely I'aked, 

 and made ready for covering, in case of frost in December. 

 This covering is made of reeds, and the covering which was 

 used for the former year is now put under the new one, so that 

 the whole becomes several inches thick. There is a covering 

 also on the sides of the trenches, fastened down by means of 

 pegs. When there is a continuance of rain, the trenches are 

 filled with water, which must immediately be removed. 



January and February. — During the months of January and 

 February, the ground in which hyacinths are to be planted in the 

 following October must be deeply dug, and where the beds are 

 planted, the water must be carefully removed from the trenches. 



March. — When frost is no longer apprehended, the covering 

 of the beds may be taken off; but great care must be taken not to 

 remove it too soon, that it may not be necessary to put it on 

 again. After all the beds have been carefully cleaned and 

 raked, they are watered with a mixture of cow-dung and water, 

 which forms a slight crust on the surface, and prevents the 

 wind from causing any irregularity on the beds. That piece of 

 ground which, in the previous months, had been deeply dug and 

 intended for hyacinths the next year, should now be manured 

 as above described, with four wheelbarrowfuls of pure cow-dung 

 to the square yard, which is dug in 1 ft. deep. 



April. — Time of flowering. At this time the plants should 

 be carefully examined, to see if by any accident one or two of a 

 different kind have been mixed with those that are pure, and to 

 mark them out. After the bulbs have flowered, the flower-stalks 

 should be cut off, to make the leaves grow stronger, and laid in a 

 place where they can do no injury ; because, should they be 

 brought again to the hj'acinth beds, they would cause all the 

 bulbs to rot. They cannot even be used as manure for trees, &c.; 

 because, if they are not poisonous, they at least always contain 

 a corrosive property, and to such a degree, that in the month of 

 October the labourers, after working five or six hours among 

 them, become red and fiery all over, and are in very great pain 

 during all this month, till this labour terminates. This pain 

 even prevents sleep. 



There are some kinds, and particularly those that have small 



G 2 



