228 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ September 20, 1864. 



three parts, and placed one lot in a cold frame plunged to 

 the rim in coal ashes, and protected from wet by the lights ; 

 but at other times, except in frost, exposed to the air day 

 and night. The second lot were buried to the depth of a 

 foot in ashes; and the third plunged in a lite manner to 

 the depth of from 4 to 6 inches. This was done on the 14th 

 of September, and on the 1st of November I found those 

 in the frame with the apex large and closely clasped by the 

 sword-like leaves, which were green and about li inch long, 

 the roots matting round the pot. The bulbs under 6 inches 

 of tan were in a similar condition, but not so well rooted as 

 those from the frame, they were, however, in good condition; 

 but those under 1 foot of ashes were grown to an extent of 

 from 3 to 6 inches, and in many cases the apex was gone, no 

 doubt from want of air and an excess of moisture. Both 

 the first and third lot did well, but the first was the best, 

 not according to my own judging, for my employer wanting 

 to make a present of a dozen to a lady and selecting from 

 the 150 then in flower, chose them without exception from 

 it. More than this, I invited a florist, who sees things in a 

 different light from a gardener, to inspect them, and out of 

 the thirty-eight left of those placed in the frame he selected 

 nine as the best, whilst out of one hundred composing the 

 other two lots there were only three equal to the nine, 

 although the sorts and quality of the bulbs were the same 

 in each case. 



The time of potting should be regulated by the period at 

 which the bulbs are required to bloom. For early bloom- 

 ing they should be potted in the last week in August ; but 

 as they are rarely purchasable before the middle of Septem- 

 ber, a number should be potted at that time and placed on 

 ashes in a suitable situation, as before directed, for from four 

 to six weeks ; but where a few are desired to bloom very 

 early, the pots should be plunged to the rim in a gentle hot- 

 bed, made by throwing up dung 2 feet high and covering it 

 with ashes. This will produce a mild bottom heat of 70° or 

 75°, and excite a speedy root-action, and by exposing the 

 surface to the air the bulbs will not be excited into top or 

 leaf-growth. The heat of such a bed will only last for a 

 fortnight or three weeks, at the expiry of which time the 

 pot should be washed and freed from dirt, and placed on 

 a shelf near the glass in the greenhouse where there is a 

 free circulation of air, so that a strong growth may result. 

 Here the Hyacinths are to remain until the first week in 

 Novemler, being duly supplied with water and the tempera- 

 ture kept above freezing. They may then be introduced 

 into a house with a temperature ranging from 45° to 50° 

 from fire heat, keeping them near the glass for three weeks, 

 giving a little fresh air daily, and water of the same temper- 

 ature as the house, so as to preserve the soil in a moist state 

 never very wet nor very dry. By the third week in Novem- 

 ber they should be in a temperature of from 50° to 55° by 

 fire heat, with a rise of 10° or 15° by day, keeping them near 

 the glass as before, and giving air so as to encourage a stiff 

 growth. In a fortnight the night temperature may be from 

 55" to 60°, which is the greatest forcing temperature I have 

 found the Hyacinth succeed in, with a rise of 10° by day with 

 fire heat, or 15° or 20° with sun. If due regard has been 

 paid to keeping the plants near the glass, admitting fresh 

 air, and watering, they will bloom finely a little before or by 

 Christmas, when they may be removed to cooler quarters, 

 yet the temperature to which they are taken should not be 

 lower than 45", or the plants will suffer in consequence. 



Providing another batch of bulbs were potted at the same 

 time, and put in some cold place to form roots, they should 

 be removed to the greenhouse by the 1st of November, and 

 placed on a top shelf near the glass, where they can have 

 plenty of air (a great point in Hyacinth culture), by which 

 means the crowns will swell gradually, and vigorous growth 

 result. By the 1st of December the temperature must be 

 increased to 50° by night, or the bulbs should be placed in 

 that temperature, it being presumed that they have been 

 kept for the last month in a heat of from 40 p to 45° ; and in 

 a fortnight the heat may be raised to 55° at night, which 

 will bring the plants into bloom by New Tear's-day. 



Where a succession of Hyacinths is in request, another 

 batch should be potted in the beginning of October, and 

 afterwards every fortnight until the middle of December, the 

 first three lots being plunged in ashes for a month, then 

 kept a month in a greenhouse, and brought into flower by i 



an increase of heat, the first in the second week in January, 

 the second in the beginning of February, and the third in 

 the latter part of that month, to which those potted after 

 them at intervals will afford a succession under ordinary 

 greenhouse management, the late bulbs being retarded so 

 as to bloom late. 



For general purposes, however, two pottings are sufficient 

 — viz., one in the second or third week in September of the 

 early double and single varieties, and another in the first 

 week in October, but not later than the second week ; for 

 though it is desirable not to plant them when a late bloom 

 is wanted, yet as a rule, retarding the growth beyond its 

 proper period has a deteriorating influence on the vigour of 

 the bulb. 



Presuming them to have been potted in the middle of 

 September, they should be removed from their situation out 

 of doors to a shelf near the glass in the greenhouse, and 

 where they can have air on all occasions except in time of 

 frost and rain, even then a little air is advantageous. If not 

 required to bloom early let them have time ; but if a few are 

 desired early, the most forward may be placed in a tem- 

 perature of 50°, and they will bloom in January. If not 

 forced they will bloom in February, at which time and a 

 fortnight prior to it, the minimum temperature should be 

 45°, and in this they bloom to perfection. When the truss, 

 or rather the bells, begin to develope, every other watering 

 may be of weak liquid manure, as the size of the bells will 

 be improved in consequence, but after they are in full bloom 

 the flowers will retain their beauty longer by watering with 

 water only. 



Those bulbs potted in the beginning of October should be 

 treated in precisely the same manner as the first lot, with 

 this difference, they must be protected from frost, and not 

 removed into the greenhouse until the third week in No- 

 vember. These, if kept in an ordinary greenhouse, will 

 bloom splendidly in March and April, the essentials to 

 success being — 1st. Placing the bulbs in a cool situation 

 until the pots are filled with roots. 2nd. Keeping them 

 near the glass, for the more light the greater is the elabo- 

 ration of the food, and the more stiff is the foliage, the more 

 compactly are the bells arranged, the stouter the stalk that 

 supports them, and the brighter the colour of the flowers. 

 3rd. The size of the flowers, and the shortness €i rather the 

 stiffness of the spike depends on their having plenty of air 

 on all favourable occasions. 4th. That they have no more 

 heat than is sufficient to maintain the plants in a healthy, 

 growing state, for the more naturally a plant is excited the 

 more satisfactory are the results. 5th. A free open soil with 

 plenty of vegetable matter. 6th. Perfect drainage, and 

 being kept free from worms. 7th. A moist soil at all times, 

 neither too wet nor too dry ; but double the quantity of 

 moisture may be afforded when the truss is nearly developed, 

 every alternate watering being with liquid manure at the 

 temperature of the house. 8th. When in bloom their 

 beauty will last much longer if they are kept in an almost 

 invariable temperature of 40° or 45° instead of a variable 

 one, but they must be fully in flower or the colours will not 

 be so bright, nor the flowers so fine, without a sufficiency of 

 light and heat. 9th. The Hyacinth will bloom much more 

 satisfactorily in a house from which frost is only excluded, 

 than in one where more fire heat is employed. 



HYACINTHS IN GLASSES AND BASKETS. 

 For growing in water the single kinds, because earlier 

 and of stronger constitution than the double, are the best ; 

 but the double kinds have been and are satisfactorily grown 

 in water. In choosing bulbs for placing in" glasses let the 

 main point be heaviness of bulb, and look well to the base 

 of the bulb to make sure that it is sound ; those showing 

 signs of few or no offsets are to be preferred. October is 

 the best month to place Hyacinths in water, which should 

 be rain or pond water. The best glasses are those which 

 are the most opaque ; those known as Tye's are to be pre- 

 ferred, and triple glasses look better than single ones. Fill 

 the glasses with water, and place the bulb therein so that 

 the base of the bulb just touches the water, or, if anything, 

 does not quite do so. Place the glasses in a dark cool 

 place with a temperature of 40° or 45° for from foar to six 

 weeks, until the roots have gr«>wn to the extent of 4 inches ; 

 then gradually inure to light, and fill up the glasses with 



