HYACINTH CULTURE AT HAARLEM 137 



thing has not been known as a seed (from either double or 

 single hyacinth) ever producing a species at all resembling 

 the hyacinth from which the seed is taken. " La Perruque 

 quarree, 1 ' a red hyacinth, has produced " La Comete " — a very 

 fine sort, and a splendid red, but it has no resemblance to 

 " La Perruque quarree," and yet they are about the nearest 

 in likeness that have been produced. There is no visible 

 difference between the seeds of double and single hyacinths. 

 Gardeners are more hopeful of raising double flowers from 

 the seeds of single hyacinths than of raising double from 

 the seeds of double. They have not yet found any principle 

 to go upon in the choice of seeds, however many experi- 

 ments have been made. Some have thought a well-formed 

 hyacinth in its seventh year, being then in its prime, is more 

 likely to produce double flowers from its seed than it would 

 be if ten or fifteen years older. It is supposed that the seed 

 of a full hyacinth, which has its petals redoubled to the 

 centre of the flower, possesses an advantage over others, or 

 double may be raised from its seed, but it very rarely pro- 

 duces seed at all ; when it does, success is still very uncertain. 

 Some like to try semi-double ; some follow one method, 

 some another, few obtain the same result twice over. Some 

 amateurs, once upon a time, longing to obtain a new sort 

 of flower, sowed the seeds of a single yellow hyacinth, very 

 pale in colour, and of quite a small and common sort ; they 

 were lucky enough to obtain splendid flowers of a very good 

 white, the centre a perfect yellow, stems and blossoms all 

 superb,—" Saturne," " Heroine," " Flavo Superbe." " Og Roi 

 de Basan " also derives its origin from the stock raised from 

 this seed. 



Countless experiments have been made, and all tend to 

 show that flowers produced from seed never resemble the 

 flower from which the seed was taken. As a rule they 

 differ in every point, shape, colour, and height. Nature 



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