HYACINTH CULTURE AT HAARLEM 149 



me it was because it had a bad circulation, and the sap 

 hung on the sides of the bulb, instead of running up the 

 stalk. " Alcibiades " and " Beau-regard " are also subject to 

 such accidents ; but they can be prevented by planting the 

 bulbs in November, that is, a month later than other sorts. 

 These kinds give off a number of young bulbs. The bulbs 

 which multiply very little and slowly have generally better 

 constitutions, and do not perish so easily. White, with red, 

 purple, or violet hearts are very subject to decay. " Gloria 

 Florum Suprema 11 perishes easily, and its offshoots perish 

 with it, and this is peculiar to this hyacinth, for most of 

 those that perish easily also multiply quickly. The kind 

 that multiply fast are generally furnished with more roots 

 than the others. 



Growers are mostly agreed that bulbs succeed infinitely 

 better if taken up from the ground every year (though it 

 does seem contrary to nature). It often happens that a 

 bulb, if left in the ground, does admirably the first and 

 second years, and sometimes a third year it does well, but 

 after this period it usually catches some disease which turns 

 into an epidemic, killing all the bulbs in its neighbourhood ; 

 it is too late then to find a remedy, and if lifted it will 

 only rot on the shelves, as it would have done in the 

 earth. One knows insects are more numerous one year than 

 another, and thus they too may cause epidemics. 



Lifting the bulb is also a method of preserving the young 

 bulb, which otherwise would perish and decay from damp if 

 left all the year round — or, as they are sometimes a foot or 

 more below ground, they effort they make to force their 

 shoots through that depth of earth is too much for them. 



It has been observed that when the sap does not circulate 

 freely in the bulb it is drawn up into the stem, and this is 

 sometimes occasioned by overheating the room or green- 

 house, — then it grows tall and weakly, the flowers are thin 



