BULBOUS FLOWEBS. 



31 



growers may then remove them to the cellar or the cold 

 frame (covered with matting), to remain there till the 

 central bud has started from a quarter to half an inch, _ 

 when they must all be exposed to light and increased 

 warmth. Before that state of advancement, small batches 

 of half a dozen or more, may be brought forward to be 

 hastened in the hotbed, or the parlour window, as 

 required, in succession. Large growers, such as Messrs. 

 Henderson, of the "Wellington Nursery, St. John's 

 "Wood, place their potted and watered hyacinths in beds 

 five feet wide, and throw old tan over them, to the depth 

 of five or six inches ; and this is allowed to remain until 

 the pots are quite full of roots, and the tops have made 

 a growth of one or two inches. Sand, instead of spent 

 tan, has been occasionally employed for the same pur- 

 pose, and is a convenient substitute in many localities. 

 They are then carefully looked over, and any that are 

 not sufficiently rooted are replunged. Great care should 

 be taken that they are not left in the tan, or sand, too 

 long ; if they remain there till the leaves begin to open, 

 the flower is very likely to be injured. Such as are well 

 rooted are placed in a cold frame, where they can be 

 securely protected from frost, and have plenty of air at 

 every opportunity. If flowers are wanted early in the 

 season, a hotbed is prepared with dung that has been 

 well worked previous, to making up the bed. As soon as 

 the hotbed is sufficiently sweetened, a few pots are put 

 into it every week, to keep up a succession from Christ- 

 mas till March, at which time the others will be coming 

 on quite fast enough in the cold frame. Although most 

 hyacinths succeed very well without artificial heat, many 

 are greatly improved by it. Indeed, all that do not 

 bloom kindly in the cold frame will be benefited by 

 applying dung-heat. The bulbs that are kept in the cold 

 frame all the winter from the time they were taken cut 

 of the tan are generally in finest bloom from the middle 

 of March till the second, week in April. After that, they 

 begin to decline. 



Hyacinth-beds should not be more than five feet wide, 



