hyaci'nthus. 



145 



hyaci'nthus. 



stronger before they are finally planted 

 out, as amply to repay the additional 

 trouble. 



Hamulus. — Urticacece. — The 

 Hop. This plant, though generally 

 grown for the purpose of making beer, 

 is a very ornamental climber, and very 

 suitable for covering bowers, &c. from 

 the great rapidity of its growth, and 

 the deep shade afforded by its large 

 and numerous leaves. It should be 

 grown in a rich and deep loamy soil, 

 and it is increased by dividing its roots. 



Hyacinth. — See Hyacinthus. 



Hyaci'nthus.— Asphodelece. — The 

 common garden Hyacinth, Hyacin- 

 thus orientalis, is one of the most 

 beautiful as well as the most fragrant 

 of flowers ; and to a certain extent it 

 is also one of the easiest of culture for 

 the amateur gardener. The reason of 

 this is, that the bulbs are generally to 

 be purchased at an easy rate in the 

 seed-shops, and the leaves and flowers 

 being prepared in the bulb during the 

 previous year, it is only necessary to 

 place the bulbs in soil of any kind, or 

 even on the surface of vessels of 

 water, to produce a very fine flower. 

 But this will not insure a bloom in 

 the following year, because that de- 

 pends not only on the plant being 

 placed in circumstances where it will 

 flower freely, but also where it will 

 produce abundance of healthy leaves, 

 and bring these to maturity. This is 

 only to be done in beds properly pre- 

 pared for the purpose, and under a 

 proper system of management. We 

 shall first speak of the most com- 

 mon mode of growing Hyacinths, 

 viz. — in miscellaneous borders; next, 

 of the most perfect mode of growing 

 them, — viz. in beds of properly pre- 

 pared soil ; and, lastly, of growing 

 them in glasses of water. 



Growing Hyacinths in miscella- 

 neous borders, among other flowers. 

 — Fix on the spots where they are to 

 be planted, and loosen the earth to 



the depth of a foot with the spade, 

 breaking it fine, and taking care that 

 the roots of the adjoining plants are 

 cut off, so as not to interfere with 

 those of the Hyacinths. Remove 

 three or four inches of the soil, and 

 then deposit three or four bulbs, one 

 in the centre and the others round it, 

 so as to form a centre not more than 

 six inches in diameter. Press the 

 roots firmly into the soil, and cover 

 them, three or four inches deep, with 

 the soil, if it is a common garden loam, 

 and five or six inches if it is a light 

 sand. Plant only roots of one colour 

 together, and put in a stick to mark 

 the spot, that they may not be inter- 

 fered with before they come up, when 

 the bed is being dug over in spring. 

 The season for planting Hyacinths is 

 October or November ; but even De- 

 cember is not too late in mild seasons, 

 and in favourable situations. In ge- 

 neral, no protection from frost is re- 

 quisite ; for the Hyacinth is very 

 hardy, and chiefly suffers from too 

 much water, from snails, or from a 

 disease called the canker. In heavy 

 clayey soils, a small cone of soil may 

 be raised over the roots to throw off 

 the rain ; but when this is done, the 

 cone ought to be levelled down in 

 February, before the plants come up ; 

 or a small gutter may be formed round 

 each circle of bulbs, to drain off the 

 wet. Where borders have a slop- 

 ing surface, both these precautions are 

 unnecessary ; and hence, in the garden 

 of the Zoological Society in the Re- 

 gent's Park, Hyacinths are planted in 

 the sloping borders, though the soil is 

 a strong clay, in autumn, and flower 

 vigorously every spring. Hyacinths 

 thus treated will produce very fine 

 flowers the first spring ; and,even though 

 not taken up, if they are not injured 

 by canker, or slugs, or the roots of ad- 

 joining plants during summer, they 

 will flower tolerably well the second, 

 and even sometimes the third year ; 



