BULBS AND THEIR CULTURE. 



91 



house before the roots have made their growth, the 

 flower stalk will be weak, and nothing will be gained, 

 even in earliness. As a rule, the Eoman hyacinths, and 

 Early Eoman and Paper White narcissus will be in 

 bloom by the 15th to the 20th of 

 December, and by bringing them in 

 at intervals of ten days or two weeks, 

 they can be had in bloom until the 

 first of March, and even later, if de- 

 sired. Tulips can be brought in be- 

 fore Christmas, and 

 by proper care in se- 

 lection of varieties 

 and in handling can 

 be had in bloom all 

 winter. Daffodils 

 do not flower, as a 

 FIG, 27. DOUBLE DPTCHj-uie, before Feb- 



HYACINTHS. ' 



ruary. 



Dutch hyacinths (Fig. 27), which 

 are so commonly grown for bedding pur- 

 poses and for decoration, are not forced 

 to any extent for their flowers. If de- 

 sired for sale or to brighten up the 

 houses, they should be grown exactly 

 the same as the Eoman hyacinth and 

 tulips. The Eoman hyacinth is still the 

 favorite, and although the red and blue 

 varieties are sometimes grown, the num- 

 ber of white ones used exceeds both of fig- 28. impkoved 

 the others a hundred fold. hyacinth glass. 



If good results are desii-ed with Dutch hyacinths, it 

 will pay to buy good bulbs of named sorts, and they will 

 be found profitable if erown for retailing. The bulbs 

 can be placed singly in five-inch pots, but they will be 

 rather more attractive if from three to five are placed in 

 a pan six or seven inches in diameter. 



