BARR & SONS, 11, 12 & 13 King: Street, Covent Garden, London. 
43 
Barr’s Choice Named Hyacinths. 
For Glasses, Jardinets, Bowls, Pots, and for Exhibition. 
HYACINTH LA BELLE GROWING IN BOWL. 
Culture In Pots. — The soil should be a compost of 
good fibrous loam with a liberal addition of leaf-soil, sharp sand, 
and thoroughly well-decayed cow manure. Phytobroma {see 
page 98) may also be added at the rate of 1 lb. per bushel. The 
compost should be well mixed and left to stand some time before 
being used. New pots should be well soaked in water before use. 
In potting, barely cover the bulb, and let the soil be i in. 
below the rim of the pot, to allow for watering. After potting 
give one good watering and then place the pots outdoors on a 
bed of ashes, cover with six inches of cocoa fibre, and leave them 
exposed to all weathers. When the bulbs have well rooted, and 
made about an inch of top growth, they may be removed indoors, 
first into a subdued light, until the blanched foliage has attained 
its full green colour, and then into the sunniest situation at com- 
mand in the greenhouse or conservatory. It is a good plan to 
place an inverted flower pot over the young growths for a few 
days after being removed from the plunging bed, as .by so doing 
they are protected from possible draught. Abundance of air, a 
moderately moist atmosphere, and plenty of water at the roots 
are then necessary for early welbdeveloped flower-spikes. A dry 
or frosty atmosphere or a draughty situation will cause the flower- 
buds to shrivel. Forcing should only be done gently, the tem- 
perature not exceeding 60 degrees. A too frequent fault made in 
forcing Hyacinths is that they are subjected to heat before the 
bulbs are fully rooted. 
For earliest flowers— namely, for January and February — pot 
middle of September and leave in the plunging bed 10 to 12 
weeks. 
^ If finely developed trusses and rich colours are preferred to very early flowers, the 
Hyacinth should not be forced; pot up the bulbs in October and leave them plunged out of 
doors three months or more, according to season, then remove them to a mild temperature like that of a 
cool greenhouse, a sitting-room window, or frame, always selecting the sunniest and most genial situation. 
Culture in Glasses. — We recommend only Single Hyacinths for glasses. The most reliable 
sorts for growing in glasses we have indicated by Pure clean water (rain-water by preference) the 
same temperature as the room should be used, with a piece or two of pure wood charcoal in it. The 
bulb can be made secure in the glass by a piece of fish netting, and its base should at all times just 
touch the water. Place the glasses in a cool dark place to encourage root growth, and keep supplied with 
water as required. When nearly full of roots (not before), and an inch or two of top growth has been 
made, admit them to the light gradually, and then to the sunniest place at command where there is full 
light and an even airy temperature. Avoid a too dry or frosty atmosphere or a draughty situation, as 
such conditions will often cause the flower-buds to shrivel up. A little rain-water gently sprinkled 
daily on the green flower-spikes will assist in their development. Barr’s Peat-Fibre, Shell and Charcoal 
Mixture is an excellent material for growing Hyacinths in, and is clean and inoffensive to handle {seepage 3 
for directions). 
Culture in Jardinets. — For this purpose BarAs Peat-fibre, Shell. and Charcoal Mixture 
is undoubtedly the best material to use. It should be always kept moist, and when the jardinet is removed 
to the sitting-room the surface should be covered with fresh green carpet moss or mossy Saxifrage. Grown 
in jardinets. Hyacinths are charming when associated with early Spring-flowering bulbs like Chionodoxas, 
Scilla sibirica, Snowdrops, Tulips, Crocuses, Narcissi, Iris reticulata, etc. 
Hangine Moss Balls of Hyacinths.— Very charming hanging baskets of Hyacinths 
can be made with balls of fresh Sphagnum moss, 9 inches in diameter. First make up a ball of moss about 
8 inches in diameter, into which insert the Hyacinth bulbs all round, binding them in with tarred string and 
more moss so that only their points are visible. Then run a wire through by which the ball can be suspended 
in greenhouse or sitting-room window. No more attention will be required except to dip the ball in water 
about once a fortnight. Such hanging baskets can be effectively made with Named or Bedding Hyacinths, 
and also with Roman Hyacinths. The open wirework baskets which are sold can be filled in the same way. 
Large-Flowered and Miniature Hyacinths, specially prepared for very early 
forcing.— These Hyacinths are harvested specially early and so prepared as to be capable of being forced 
into bloom by Christmas. For this purpose they should be potted up by the middle of September, plunged 
in a cold airy frame, and be removed indoors to a gentle heat about the middle of November. They may 
also be grown to flower in January and February. See pages 47 and 48. 
