68 A LITTLE GARDEN THE YEAR ROUND 



spikes from ten to fifteen inches in height. 

 Hyacinths should be planted eight inches apart 

 and about five inches deep. Hyacinthjs should 

 be placed in the earth upon a little thin bed of 

 sand below the bulbs, and after being covered 

 with earth, should have the further protection 

 of a mulch, of either manurial dressing or 

 leaves. Evergreen boughs (cedars and bal- 

 sams) make a good covering throughout a se- 

 vere winter. When spring arrives the mulch 

 should be removed, not all at once, but gradu- 

 ally, so the earth below, which comes in con- 

 tact with the bulbs, will not be chilled too sud- 

 denly. 



Hyacinths for indoors may be started in 

 deep pots in November. The best potting soil 

 I have experimented with has been composed 

 of a compost prepared of one part of rich 

 loam, one part of thoroughly decomposed 

 barnyard manure, and one-half part clean, 

 coarse sand. The bulb crowns should be left 

 about half an inch above the surface of the 

 soil, and the root end should rest upon a base 

 of charcoal-covered potsherds. Press down the 

 soil firmly around the bulb and wet it thor- 

 oughly. Either "plunge" the pots or set them 



