HISTORICAL NOTES ON DUTCH HYACINTHS. 



53 



ceived its great beauty and superiority, and cultivated it. From 

 that time florists and amateurs paid more attention to double 

 varieties, and I think they were right. Double Hyacinths were 

 also at that time sought for in England. James Maddick speaks 

 of them in the 11 Florist's Directory," and we find that " The King 

 of Great Britain " was sold for nearly 120Z. This is most likely 

 the same double white Hyacinth described by Miller. But the 

 question of single or double flowers is entirely a matter of taste. 



We know, however, by experience that the fine double 

 varieties lose their flowers by moving ; but to my mind a good 

 compact double Hyacinth is far finer than a single one, and I 

 hope that the fashion for double flowers will once more appear. 



In order that Hyacinth culture may keep pace with the 

 requirements of the times, we shall have to divide the different 

 varieties into classes, beginning with two main groups, viz. : 

 those for in-door and those for out-door culture. 



The first group should include those Hyacinths suitable, in the 

 first place, for cutting purposes or other light work. These must 

 be able to compete with the French Koman Hyacinths. For this 

 purpose they should be very early and lax in the flower. I 

 should like to recommend for this purpose such varieties as 

 La Neige, Ida, and Pelissier. The other in-door Hyacinths must 

 contain nothing but the very best large-flowering double and 

 single varieties. 



The out-door Hyacinths should be used for carpet-bedding 

 to form a mosaic pattern of striking colours. The bulbs for 

 this purpose may be small, and therefore cheap, but they should 

 be selected carefully from good free-blooming varieties, and 

 especially cultivated for the purpose. The other out-door 

 Hyacinths should be composed of good full- sized bedding bulbs 

 of good striking colours and good upright standing varieties to 

 be grown as specimens for garden decoration. 



Perhaps you will think that there is but a small difference 

 between this and the old system, but I should require too much 

 of your time if I would fully explain the subject. 



As long, however, as the public buys bulbs which are not 

 adapted for the purpose required, the Dutch farmer is obliged to 

 go on growing his Hyacinths without regard to their ultimate 

 use, and thus through no fault of his own he often fails to do 

 justice to his clients. 



