THE CULTIVATION OF HYACINTHS IN HOLLAND. 61 



single, or from a single to a double, or from one colour to 

 another. For instance, Grand Vainqueur has varieties of the 

 same name in almost all colours, and also .with double and 

 single flowers. The double white is a sport of the single white 

 variety. Single rose Charles Dickens, of which there are two 

 sorts, are both sports of the single blue ; the true rose variety 

 has lost its blue colour altogether, while the other has still a 

 bluish shade left. Double white Florence (or Miss) Nightingale 

 is a sport of the single variety of the same name and colour. 

 This, however, must not lead you to the belief that all similarly 

 named Hyacinths in different colours have the same ancestor ; 

 for instance, the name of Grand Vainqueur will be found amongst 

 almost all colours double and single, and yet they have nothing in 

 common with each other except the before-mentioned double and 

 single white varieties. The fact that different varieties of the same 

 colour have the same name is very often a great puzzle, and it 

 is no easy matter to decide which has the real right to that 

 name. There are, for instance, three different varieties of single 

 blue Queen of the Blues, which are kept distinct in Holland by 

 the additional names of Haarlem, Overveen, or Hillegom Queen 

 of the Blues. Thus we have the pleasure of noting three 

 distinct varieties which are named alike, and yet which is the 

 true Queen amongst all these Queens no Dutchman will under- 

 take to decide. 



The trade in Hyacinths being altogether a trade of con- 

 fidence, it is strange that there are so many wrong ideas as to 

 the choice of varieties. To the very common but altogether 

 wrong idea, that the largest bulb-making variety is to be pre- 

 ferred to any other, I must enter my decided protest. Single 

 Ked Norma, for instance — a bulb that sells readily in a shop 

 window — will not do at all for show purposes. If you want a 

 proof look over this exhibition, and you feel convinced that the 

 exhibiting firms here will bear me out. It is astonishing how 

 difficult it is to get people to select the better varieties even 

 when they are of the same price or even cheaper. There is, for 

 instance, single yellow Alida Jacoba, a variety very much 

 sought after, and yet good for nothing. It is a wretched bulb 

 with a narrow spike of a very pale yellow colour. If this is 

 compared with Ida, Primrose Perfection, or Bowland Hill, no 

 one would ever look at it any more. Great progress has been 



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