BULBOUS FLOWERS. 



29 



the glazed corridor, the balcony, the greenhouse, or the 

 saloon and occasional reception-room. The only satis- 

 faction to be derived from bulbs in glasses is the power of 

 beholding the roots, and of watching their descent in the 

 water. Otherwise, the plant, as it grows, becomes a 

 wretched unsteady thing, even when supported by wires, 

 for want of its natural foot-hold in the soil ; it is exhausted 

 and nearly worthless for the following season ; and the 

 practice might be reprehended a3 a flagrant case of cruelty 

 to flowers, if such an offence were recognised by society. 



Forced hyacinths, in pots, are deservedly general 

 favourites ; and the more gently they are forced, the 

 more slowly they are brought forward, if only by the 

 temperature of an ordinary sitting-room and full exposure 

 to the sunshine in the window, the better-grown will be 

 the specimens. This, too, will allow of the pleasure of 

 noting the development of the rising flower-stem. If the 

 perfected bloom exhales too oppressive a perfume, it can 

 then be removed to ornament a cooler part of the house, 

 which will protract the duration of its beauty. 



The hyacinth strikes its roots vertically downward to a 

 depth which is considerable in proportion to the diameter 

 of the bulb and which is greater than the height of 

 flower-pots usually allowed to roots of that size. The 

 idea therefore suggested itself to manufacture tall cylin- 

 drical pots, of narBOW diameter, expressly for growing 

 thi3 flower ; and lovers of hyacinths will do well to make 

 use of them. In an ordinary garden-pot ' of sufficient 

 depth (not less than ten or eleven inches), a clump or 

 knot of hyacinths of different colours may be grown. 

 Three is a good number to constitute these bouquets, 

 sher in pots or in the open border ; and the permu- 

 tations and combinations that may be worked out in this 

 way ^vith the different colours of white, blush, pink, pale 

 yellow, red. porcelain-blue, deep blue, violet, and dark 

 purple, afford a varied scope for the amateur's taste to 

 exercise itself. One point must not be forgotten in 

 respect to hyacinths ; some of the single varieties are 

 even in higher esteem than the double ; moreover, they 



