2 DD) Mi) sFERR Vie) CO.) DETROLT, MICH, 
HYACINTHS 
Ready for delivery in September . 
The Hyacinth is so well and so favorably known that it is unnecessary to give any detailed descrip- 
tion of its broad upright spike or truss usually thickly set with bell shaped flowers of beautiful wax-like 
texture. It succeeds well in the house and garden, adorning both with the varied colors and delicious 
fragrance of its showy flowers. Its culture is very simple and if attention is paid to the following 
directions, failure is almost impossible. 
Pot Culture in the House—Plant from September to December in rich, sandy loam, in four-inch or five-inch pots; or if 
preferred plant in flats or in six-inch to eight-inch pans. Plant the bulb so that its top will be just below the surface. 
Do not pack the soil in the pots, as the bulbs will be much less likely to push out when the root growth commences if the 
soil is loose. A splendid mass effect may be 
had by planting a considerable number of 
bulbs in a flat or windowbox; all the bulbs 
should be of the same variety to insure bloom- 
ing together. Water thoroughly and set the 
pots or boxes away in a cool, dark place for 
several weeks. If cold coffee is used occa- 
sionally instead of water, it will often increase 
in intensity the coloring of the flowers. Keep- 
ing in the dark will allow the roots to grow 
and become firmly fixed in the soil, when 
the plants can be brought into the light and 
will at once commence the top growth. 
By bringing the pots into the light at differ- 
ent times, something of a succession of bloom 
may be had. During their growth they should 
be kept near the light and at a temperature 
of 50 to 70 degrees and watered frequently. 
Where good garden soil is not readily pro- 
curable, bulbs can be very satisfactorily grown 
in sphagnum moss. A small quantity of some 
good fertilizer may be used. 
Outdoor Culture in Beds or Borders—Thebulbs 
may be planted almost any time from October 
until the ground is frozen solid, but it is advis- 
able to purchase early, before our stocks are 
depleted. They succeed in any good, well 
drained garden soil which should be well 
spaded, and will be better if some-well rotted 
manure is mixed through it. 
Set the bulbs so that the tops will be between 
three and four inches below the surface and 
six to ten inches apart. Pack a little sand 
under and about them if it is convenient, 
being careful that none of the manure comes 
in direct contact with the bulbs. 
Before very severe weather comes on it is 
advisable to cover the beds with straw, leaves 
or manure, to protect them from severe cold 
during winter but care should be taken that 
this covering is not too thick and dense, as the 
bulbs are as likely to be injured by being kept 
too warm as by freezing. The covering should 
be removed as early in the spring as severe 
freezing is over and growth commences. 
If the bulbs are taken up after they become 
well ripened and are stored in a cool dry place 
they will bloom the next season, but the diffi- 
culty of keeping them at the right tempera- 
ture and moisture is so great in our climate 
that we cannot recommend the attempt. If 
they are left in the ground they will ordinarily 
produce some inferior flowers the next year. 
In most cases it will be more satisfactory to 
secure a fresh stock of large, finely grown 
bulbs each season. 
Glass Culture—To grow in glasses, select 
dark colored glass, fill with water until the 
base of each bulb rests on the water and set 
away in the dark as directed for pot culture. 
Fill up the glass with water as fast as it evapo- 
rates. If the water becomes impure it should 
be changed and the roots well cleansed before 
putting in again. A small piece of charcoal 
put in the glass will keep the water pure much 
longer. 
After roots have attained a good growth 
the glass can be brought into the light and 
placed in a cool room neara window. Give 
the plants plenty of light and as much fresh 
air as possible without a direct draught. 
Keep the glasses sufficiently full of water. 
Do not keep them in a close, warm room, nor 
about a fireplace. If removed out of the direct 
rays of the sun when in bloom the flowers will : 
last longer. SPIKE OF SINGLE HYACINTH ~ 
