XI 



THE HYACINTH 



EVER since the lovely Hyacinth was in- 

 troduced by seedlings and hybrids 

 from the Oriental Hyacinth {Hya- 

 cinihus orient alls) of the Levant, as long ago 

 as the year 1590, it has held a warm spot in 

 the hearts of all garden-lovers, not alone in the 

 affections of the Dutch florists, who have 

 brought it to such perfection, but quite as much 

 in those of American amateurs, who have found 

 it a flower of surpassing beauty, color and 

 fragrance in the early Spring garden. Like- 

 wise, the Hyacinth has come to be one of the 

 favorite bulb plants for indoor bloom — ^prob- 

 ably the most popular one of all. 



Of Hyacinths there are many varieties, from 

 the exquisite little Amethyst Hyacinth of Eu- 

 rope, with its brilliant azure of pellucid hue 

 and its exquisite fragrance, to the great, fat, 



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