376 
THE HYACINTH. 
s. d. s. d. 
La Candeur, fine 4 to 6 
Mont Blanc 60 76 
Queen Victoria, excellent 10 16 
Single White, Shaded or Spotted with Eed. 
Albertine, new and fine 9 to 1 
Bernardine 09 10 
Grandeur El Merville, large and new .16 2 
Rousseau, very fine large truss ... 9^ 10 
Tuba Flora, new, extra fine .... 1 16 
Voltaire, a fine old favourite .... 9 10 
Virgo Maximus, good . , 9 10 
Single Yellow. 
Catherina, new and very fine .... 6 to 9 
Heroine, good old favourite .... 6 09 
King of Holland, fine, but reddish east 6 9 
Pointe du Jour, excellent 9 10 
Prince of Orange, fine 9 10 
Sterne, excellent 09 10 
Victor Hugo, new pure citron ... 9 10 
We have now gone through a first-rate 
Dutch catalogue, intended for the trade, and 
containing nearly four hundred more than we 
have mentioned. We do not insist that all 
we have set down here are first rate, or that 
there are not some fine flowers that are un- 
noticed in our list; but, considering the im- 
mense number that are in cultivation, we do 
mean to say that it would be difficult to find 
a score to add, or a score to take away, that 
would improve the list upon the whole. We 
have selected the flowers for some good point; 
they are finer with regard to certain qualities 
than others that are omitted ; and some are 
really almost unexceptionable by comparison. 
We have done this for two sound reasons — 
first, because we want to induce people who 
have gardens to adopt a flower which is cer- 
tainly at the head of all spring bulbs, and is 
without exception the easiest of all flowers to 
grow tolerably well. The darkest kitchen in 
the city will produce the bloom of a hyacinth 
from a healthy bulb, scarcely any ill treatment 
will destroy the flower, and we are only sorry 
that people have been so often deceived into 
a belief that there was some difficulty, when 
3,11 their misfortunes have arisen from the 
purchase of damaged bulbs. The auction 
mart has done more towards injuring the sale 
and discouraging the growth of bulbs, than 
anybody can imagine, and the very system 
ought to convince them that it is so. The 
Dutch florists execute the seedsmen's orders 
with prime healthy bulbs ; they would on 
no account wilfully put in a single damaged 
article, for the best of all reasons, the price 
would be deducted ; damaged roots are almost 
thrown away ; they are sold to people who 
make a living by gathering them up at the 
lowest possible price, for if diseased bulbs are 
not got rid of they may infect others. These 
huckstering buyers make them up into cases, 
and send them to be sold at the mart, where, 
in spite of all the reasoning that can be urged 
against it, people are found to buy them at 
nearly as large a price as the shops would 
supply them at in full health and vigour. By 
chance, a diseased bulb will yield its bloom 
befoi'e it dies ; but the proportion of bulbs 
that turn out well is so small that it is per- 
fectly ridiculous to lay out a shilling in such 
a lottery, while within a few yards of the 
very place there are several respectable seeds- 
men who would supply the proper healthy 
bulbs, for perhaps the same money. Hun- 
dreds of persons have bought bulbs at the 
mart, and been completely disappointed at the 
result. 
We have already mentioned the growth in 
beds, but the principal charm is to grow 
them in pots, so that we may carry them 
wherever we desire to show them ; and the 
process is exceedingly simple. It is the cus- 
tom to bury them, after they are potted, in 
tan or ashes ; to this we have no objection if 
they are released in time; but as soon as the 
bulbs have shot half-an-inch we would remove 
them to the light, whereas we have seen the 
long yellow spikes so far advanced that the 
plants could not be other than lanky and 
ugly. In potting there are several things to 
mind ; first, the soil cannot be too rich ; se- 
condly, they should be planted as soon in 
October as convenient, just under the surface 
of the soil in the pot ; thirdly, they should be 
plunged in ashes or tan, three inches below 
the surface, until the roots have grown and 
the plants begun to shoot ; this can only be 
known by examining them now and then. 
They may then be removed to a garden frame, 
and be kept from the frost by covering up 
during bad weather, and at nights they should 
be close to the glass ; and from these cold 
frames they may be drawn out and removed 
to the greenhouse or the stove, or to a common 
hot-bed, as you want to begin forcing them ; 
but for perfection of growth and colour they 
are better without forcing. No plants are 
hardier, but frost destroys the petals of most 
flowers ; and therefore, hardy as they are, 
they should not be subject to the changes of 
frost and thaw. The strongest bulbs, and the 
most vigorous growers, can be got well up in 
a thirty-two sized pot of really rich compost. 
If it be complained that the term rich compost 
is not sufficiently distinct, we will just observe 
that they would grow in all decomposed dung ; 
but few are prepared with that ; and it must 
be recollected that the hyacinth will grow in 
plain water, and in wet sand, so that it is im- 
possible to fail with healthy bulbs. Yet good 
rich soil, without forcing, will bring fine 
colour, stout growth, and noble flowers. We 
trust, therefore, that there will be a general 
adoption of this flower in all gardens, and in 
every private house, for London or country, 
manufacturing towns or open plains. The 
