58 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The way of forcing Hyacinths for show-purposes in Holland 

 is so entirely different from the way which is generally adopted 

 in England, that I cannot pass this subject without a reference 

 to it. First of all, the bulbs are planted in as small pots as pos- 

 sible in the beginning of October. They are then plunged in soil, 

 and when frost sets in they are covered so that the frost cannot 

 touch them. About six weeks before the date of the show a bed 

 is made of fresh horse manure, which is left a fortnight in order 

 to get properly hot. After that, frames are put on such a hot- 

 bed, and the horse manure is covered about one foot with any- 

 thing that will allow the heat to pass easily through, such as 

 peat, cocoa-fibre, &c. In this material the pots are plunged 

 very near to the glass, and the frame is always left open to allow 

 the superfluous damp to escape, which would otherwise harm 

 the bulbs when too hot. In this way there is always plenty of 

 steam about the roots, which makes the foliage open easily and 

 the flower fat and tender. When they are grown a little the 

 frames are raised, but not more than is necessary to keep the 

 plants as near to the light as possible. After two weeks the 

 earliest are in bloom, and during the next fourteen days they are 

 kept in a cool place, in order to fully develop. 



The Dutch like the blooms to appear as dwarfish as possible, 

 that is to say, as near the pot as they can get them. There is, 

 however, some reason for doing so : they always show their 

 Hyacinths in the pots in which they are grown, which they 

 place next to each other, and do not re-pot into larger ones as 

 our English friends do. 



In this country I am told gardeners force their Hyacinths in 

 hot-houses, and do not always plunge the pots in cocoa-fibre, but 

 put them on shelves. Some experiments which were recently 

 made in Holland in this line did not suit us, chiefly for the reason 

 that the flowers were too much grown and lax, and not so 

 dwarfish (compact) as we should have liked them. 



The reason that Holland, which has very much the same 

 climate as England, is more suitable for Hyacinth-growing is 

 due to its light and sandy soil ; but after all it is only a small 

 portion of Holland which favours this industry. The best soil 

 for Hyacinth-growing is found in that part of Holland situated 

 along the sandhills between Haarlem and Leyden. There the 

 soil is of such a nature that the rain runs easily through it, and 



