MAY. 



65 



ers that are white with red and purple eyes. 

 What a wonderful variety ; here are twelve 

 Hyacinths, and no two of them are alike. 



H. There is indeed a variety to us ; but to 

 a florist, who has seen hundreds of varieties in 

 the highest perfection, our collection would 

 appear rather indifferent. 



M. Is it possible that there are so many 

 varieties ? 



H. I have read that more than a thousand 

 varieties are cultivated in Holland, as an arti- 

 cle of commerce at the present time, with each 

 a name. When the rage for Hyacinths was at 

 its height, about a hundred years ago, there was 

 double that number under cultivation, differing 

 in some small degree from each other, and 

 some of them highly prized. As much as 

 ten thousand dollars has been known to 

 be given for a single root, and much more 

 than that has been offered and refused. Since 



