M. 



FERRY 



CO 



DETROIT, MICH 



HYACINTHS 



Ready for delivery in September 



The Hyacinth is so well and so favorably known that it is unnecessary to give any detailed description of its broad 

 upright spike or truss usually thickly set with bell shaped flowers of beautiful wax-like texture. Through centuries of 

 careful cultivation and selection it has been brought to a state of perfection which will scarcely be improved in any great 

 degree 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 or five inch 

 pots, inserting 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 window- 

 box; all the bulbs should be of the same variety to 

 insure blooming together. Water thoroughly and 

 set the pots or boxes away in a cool, dark place for 

 several weeks. If cold coffee is used occasionally 

 instead of water, it will often increase in intensity 

 the coloring of the flowers. Keeping 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 different 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 procurable, 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 — The bulbs 

 may be planted almost any time from October until 

 the ground is frozen solid, but it is advisable to pur- 

 chase 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 advis- 

 able 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 in- 

 jured 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 difficulty of keep- 

 ing them at the right temperature and moisture is 

 so great in our climate that we cannot recommend 

 the attempt. If they are left in the ground they wUl 

 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 feulbs 

 each season. 



Glass Culture— To grow in glasses, select dark 

 colored glass, fill with water until the base of^^ch 

 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 evaporates. If the water/-be- 

 comes 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 

 mu^ longer. After the roots have attained a good 

 gro^h the glass can be brought into the light and 

 plad^ed in a cool room near a window. Give the 

 plants plenty of light and as much fresh air as 

 possible without a direct draught. Keep the glasses 

 sufi|ciently 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 

 SPIKE OF SINGLE HYACINTHS flowers will last longer. 





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