BULBOUS PLANTS. 



217 



cow-manure, one of leaf-mould, and one of sand. 

 Ample drainage must be given, as Hyacinths like 

 plenty of water if it percolates freely. The crown or 

 top of the bulb Should be placed on a level with the 

 surface of the soil, which latter should be pressed 

 firmly. It is a good plan to put a little sand both 

 beneath the bulb and around it in potting. The 

 Hyacinth being a deep rooter, special Hyacinth 

 pots, which are considerably deeper than the ordinary 

 Mnd, are often used, but these are unnecessary, as 

 the finest Hyacinths possible to produce are grown 

 in common six-inch pots. Forced Hyacinths are 

 often grown in suspended baskets, wire or wood, 

 in damp moss, in boxes, in rustic cork, and a variety 

 of other ways, but for the production of good flower- 

 spikes pot culture is superior to all other modes. 



Glass culture of Hyacinths in rooms is now com- 

 monly practised, and as the bulbs may be bought so 

 cheaply the humblest cottage window may be 

 adorned in spring with Hyacinths as fine often as 

 can be grown in pots. The glasses best for the 

 purpose are such as are semi-transparent, or even 

 opaque, as the roots do not like the light. Choose 

 sound bulbs, and in order to be successful the 

 bulbs must be induced to develop roots before the 

 crowns commence to swell. Therefore, the iisual 

 plan is to put the bulbs in glasses fiUed with 

 water (but the bases must not touch the water), and 

 place them in a cool, dark place. This so retards top- 

 growth, and conduces to root-growth, that by the 

 time the crowns swell there will be roots to carry 

 on the work of nourishing the unfolding leaves and 

 spikes. After roots have formed, and the crown 

 starts, the bulbs should have all the light possible, and 

 the lightest window is not too open for it. Some put 

 paper caps over the crowns to keep them from the light 

 until the roots grow, and various devices will suggest 

 themselves to any one bent upon having good glass 

 Hyacinths. "While it is necessary that the bulb should 

 be clear of the water itself, it may be occasionally 

 watered, and left to dry itself. The best water to 

 use is filtered soft water, but any kind of water really 

 will do, although the roots do not flourish so well in 

 cold spring-water as in rain-water. The latter is 

 apt to become putrid so quickly that its use is objec- 

 tionable, but filtering obviates this to some extent. 

 Boiling takes away the harshness of spring or other 

 hard water, and some put a piece of charcoal in each 

 glass to preserve it in' a fresh condition. As regards 

 changing the water, the rule is to change it as soon 

 as it becomes turbid or discoloured, which period will 

 vary. At intervals of a week or so, it is advisable 

 to well rinse the roots by repeatedly pouring in 

 water and emptying the glasses. 



The open-air culture of Hyacinths is simple enough. 

 If grown in beds on lawns by themselves, the bulbs 



should be planted during dry weather in October or 

 November. The ground must be deep and open, and 

 weU drained and manured. ^ The bulbs may be 

 planted at distances from eight to twelve inches 

 apart,' and from four to six inches in depth. A 

 layer of sharp sand should be put beneath and 

 around the bulbs, and after all are planted the beds 

 may be protected from severe frosts by a mulching 

 of cocoa-nut fibre, tan, or decayed manure, and at 

 the time the bulbs are in flower some go as far 

 as erecting an awning over each bed in order to 

 protect the spikes. The arrangement of the colours 

 of the different varieties may be done according to 

 the fancy of the planter, always remembering that 

 masses of colour produce a finer effect on lawns, or 

 elsewhere, than mixtm-es of various colours with no 

 decided mass. The spikes must have some kind 

 of support, and if attended to in this, and other 

 respects, will produce bright effects in the garden 

 for several weeks during April and May. 



Selection of Sorts. — Seeing that the named sorts of 

 Hyacinths are some hundreds, and as every seeds- 

 man's catalogue embraces a descriptive list of those 

 usually grown, there is only need here to enumerate 

 a few of the very best single and double sorts suit- 

 able for a moderate-sized garden, or for exhibition. 

 Single-flowered sorts should always be preferred 

 to double, as they yield the best spikes, and have 

 a more pleasing appearance. Commencing with 

 single blue sorts, the best are Baron Van Tuyll, 

 King of the Blues, Argus, Charles Dickens, 

 Blondin, Czar Peter, De CandoUe, Grand Lilas, 

 Grand Maitre, General Havelock, Lord Derby, 

 Marie, Mimosa, Prince of "Wales, Sir- John Lawrence, 

 and Lord Palmerston. Among the best double blues 

 are Van Speyk, pale ; and Laurens Koster, dark. 

 A selection of single reds and pinks would consist of 

 Garibaldi, Cavaignac, Fabiola, Sultan's Favourite, 

 Von Schiller, Lord Macaulay, Linnseus, Vurbaak, 

 Gigantea, Lina, and Princess Helena. Duke of 

 "WeUington and Koh-i-noor are two of the best 

 double reds. Among magenta and mauve-tinted 

 sorts are Haydn, Sir Henry Havelock, and Charles 

 Dickens. "White sorts are numerous, and among 

 the finest singles are La Grandesse, Alba maxima, 

 Mont Blanc, L'Innocence, Queen of the Netherlands, 

 Snowball, Grandeur a Merveille, and Baroness Van 

 Tuyll. The yellow sorts are as yet few in number, 

 the best being Ida and Bird of Paradise. 



Roman and Italian Hyacinths differ from 

 the ordinary Dutch varieties in being altogether 

 smaller, and less dense in the spike. The Eoman 

 variety is valuable on account of its early flowering, 

 and it is largely grown for providing bloom during 

 the winter months, and as early nas November it» 



