6 
SEED-TIME km HARVEST. 
Work Among the Bulbs. 
BY JOHN M. STAHL. 
I believe that of all the bulbous plants 
the Hyacinth is the most beautiful and 
fragrant aud popular. It seems to be es¬ 
pecially designed for house culture. It is 
widely cultivated, being found in every 
Northern country in the world. More than 
any other flower it . helps to make winter 
cheerful. I always feel grateful to it, though 
it is strange to feel grateful to a flower for 
the good,. cheering work it does in our 
homes. 
SINGLE HYACINTH. 
A very small pot will answer for the'Hy- 
acinth, but some think it is nicer to plant 
three or four in one pot, in which case, the 
pot must of course be larger. Fill the pot 
with porous, sandy soil. In this soil make 
a place for the bulb just large enough to 
receive it, and so deep that the bulb will be 
about half below the surface; put the bulb 
in position, press it down so that it will 
just show above the earth, then water, 
giving all the earth will hold. Set the pots 
away in a cool, dark cellar for several 
weeks; the tops will grow but little, but 
the roots will make a good formation. Then 
by removing a few at a time into a light, 
warm room you can keep up a succession 
for a time. A “warm” room for bulbs is 
never above seventy degrees. A good plan 
is to keep the plants on a stand in the hall 
or cool room and remove a few each day 
to the sitting-room or parlor, being careful 
to return them at night to the hall. 
If you wish to put the bulbs in glasses 
for winter flowering, have the base of the 
bulb to just touch the surface of the water; 
the water will soon evaporate away from 
the bulb, which is as it should be—always 
the water a little below the base of the 
bulb. Set the glasses away in a cool place, 
as you would if they were in pots, As soon 
DOUBLE HYACINTH. 
as flower-buds appear, sprinkle the leaves 
and buds, give plenty of light and air, and 
keep the atmosphere moist. 
For garden culture, the bulbs are to be 
planted in September, October or Novem¬ 
ber. Put the bulbs from three to four inch¬ 
es below the surface. If the bed is in 
ground likely to suffer much from freez¬ 
ing and thawing, give the bulbs a liberal 
covering before severe weather sets in. If 
the beds are small and close together, put 
one color and one alone, in each bed. If 
you plant both the early and late varieties 
you can prolong the season of outdoor 
blooming to perhaps three, or even four 
weeks. The Roman Hyacinth is a very 
early flowering variety. 
CROCUS. 
I once heard a little girl say the Crocus 
was “such a little dear,” and I think it is* 
