THE CULTIVATION OF HYACINTHS IN HOLLAND. 



55 



In the first place, I will speak about the natural history of 

 the Hyacinths ; in the second place, I will tell you how they are 

 treated in Holland when grown in pots for show purposes ; and, 

 lastly, I mean to give you an idea how they are grown and 

 prepared for the English market. 



The Hyacinths, which form nowadays such an important 

 branch of the Dutch-bulb industry, are known botanically as 

 Hyacinthus orientalis. 



The Hyacinths from Paris and the Roman Hyacinths are 

 supposed to have been imported from Holland into France, and 

 are nothing more than varieties of this same Hyacinthus 

 orientalis. 



Their native country is supposed to be the Levant, and more 

 especially the environs of Aleppo and Bagdad, where they were 

 found growing in moss in the meadows, which were inundated 

 in early spring and dry in summer. 



Imported into Europe, they were grown and planted by the 

 Dutch, but when this first took place is very difficult to state. 

 There is no certainty whatever about the date, and all we can 

 say is that it must have been in very ancient times, as they 

 were found in large quantities in Holland in the beginning of 

 the seventeenth century. 



The original colour of Hyacinths is said to have been blue, 

 and this we know is the colour of the wild Hyacinths which are 

 found in the woods throughout Europe. But there are some 

 who undertake to say that red must have been the original 

 colour, based on the name of the plant. What connection, 

 however, they can see between the red colour and the word 

 Hyacinth I declare I do not know. 



At the present time we distinguish three different forms of 

 Hyacinths — namely, single, double, and semi-double Hyacinths. 



In 1582 a white variety was raised from seed. In 1614 there 

 were already single red, white, and blue varieties, and also 

 double ones. In 1596 Gerard, in England, must have been 

 in the possession of single and double blue, purple, and white 

 varieties. But it is very likely that all these colours and forms 

 were imported from the Levant. The first variety, however, of 

 a lilac colour was raised in this century, and was a sport of a 

 red one. A Dutch fancier, called the Eev. Mr. Boekenhoven, 

 found one day amongst his flowers of the single red variety 



