400 FRITZ BAHR'S COMMERCIAL FLORICULTURE 



Dutch Hyacinths 

 While these Hyacinths are used for bedding, to have them 

 at their best they should be grown or forced under glass and every 

 retail grower should have a few coming along into flower from the 

 middle of January on. There are grand named sorts which, if 

 exhibition or first-size bulbs are made use of, should always be 

 planted separately in pots — either 4s, or in the case of some of 

 the largest ones, 5s. The smaller size bulbs frequently offered 

 as miniature Hyacinths are best for pans and there are two ways 

 of handling them. One is to plant the bulbs in flats three inches 

 deep, allowing a little space between them; and the other is to plant 

 them directly into the pans. The latter saves work, yet there are 

 times when the plants in these pans don't all come even or flower 

 at the same time which doesn't make a very attractive pan for the 

 counter. A good idea, therefore, is to make use of both ways and 

 if you get some uneven pans you can take the plants out carefully 

 and replant to suit you. There are some varieties — and among them 

 Gertrude, a fine pink — which are apt to show the effects of being 

 lift:d when in bloom; other sorts don't mind it at aU. 



Forcing Dutch Hyacinths 



As with most other Dutch bulbs that we import, the sooner 

 you plant them in late Fall the better; the sooner they will make 



root growth and become 

 potbound — and there is 

 absolutely no use in 

 bringing into heat a 

 Hyacinth which isn't 

 potbound. Plants poorly 

 rooted wiU never amount 

 to anything. They may 

 make a fine growth of 

 foliage but usually they 

 wfll bloom without a 

 flower spike or stem and 

 prove worthless. 



Plant early, and if 

 you have no bulb cellar 

 put the pots outdoors in 

 a coldframe, water 

 throughly and cover 

 them with about twelve 

 inches of soil and later 

 on with a layer of strawy 

 manure. During Fall 

 examine the pots every 



Fig. 182. — Miniature Hyacinths. You don't 

 need stakes for pans of miniature Hyacinths grown 

 cool and given plenty of time. Easily handled, 

 they are for the retail grower most important 

 Winter- and early Spring-flowering stock 



