THE GREEN-HOUSE. 



225 



leaves can be tied. The water in each trough can be 

 renewed, without disturbing the bulbs, by a small 

 cock which points to the inside of the cone or dome ; 

 and to the whole there is a tin bottom to collect any 

 drops of water which may escape from leakage or 

 otherwise. The invention of this mode is by some 

 attributed to the Dutch, and by others to a Russian, 

 it having been chiefly displayed in some of the Peters- 

 burg palaces. The most general mode of planting 

 bulbs on water is by flower-glasses, well known to 

 every one. There are two sorts ; one with darkened 

 glass, which is the best for the roots as excluding the 

 light ; and the other with bright glass, which shows 

 to the spectator the progress of the roots. Here each 

 bulb is grown by itself, and when its flower, stem, or 

 leaves require support, one or more props are affixed 

 to the base in which the glass is placed. 



All sorts of bulbs may most probably be blown on 

 water ; but those chiefly so blown are the hyacinth, 

 polyanthus -narcissus, early tulip, Persian iris, crocus, 

 and a few others. The colchicum, Guernsey lily, saf- 

 fron crocus, and some other autumn bulbs, will also 

 flower very well in this way : the variegated colchi- 

 cum, when it is prolific in flowers, has a very fine 

 appearance. 



The season for placing the bulbs on water may be 

 any period after they have been matured ; but the most 

 usual time with spring bulbs is October, and from 

 that month to February ; and with autumn bulbs 

 August and September. We have already mentioned 



Q 



