290 
JOURNAL OF HORTICUL2URE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Saptember 25, 1834. 
would overwhelmingly show that the failure was the result of inclement 
weather in April and May of the present year. The later blossom in the 
north escaped and fruit followed, though the wood was scarcely better 
matured than in the south. 
I repeat that starvation is not maturation ; and though I do not 
suggest for a moment that Mr. Abbey confounds the two, I am a little 
fearful that his teaching may lead the inexperienced to do so. I was 
misled in this matter years ago, but I have long since lost faith in 
stunted fruit trees. 
Your correspondent does not remember a summer so hot and dry as 
the present one since 1859. If I am not mistaken the summer of 1868 
was quite as hot and dry as either those of 1859 or 1884, and the harvest 
was secured earlier in 1868 than it was this year ; but what about that, 
Mr. Abbey may possibly ask? Just this: according to your corre¬ 
spondent’s theory 1869 ought to have been a bountiful fruit year. But 
it was not. It was indeed quite the reverse. I remember it well, and 
remembering also that Mr. Luckhurst wrote forcibly on the scarcity of 
fruit, I have searched out his article. It is on page 65, July 22nd, 1869, 
where anyone who chooses to do so, and has the opportunity, may read 
the following paragraph :—“ Never did a year open with brighter 
prospects for fruit-growers than this, and never were hopes and trees 
together so ruthlessly blighted. After so hot a summer as that of 1868, 
tending to make the wood firm and well ripened, with an abundance of 
blossom buds, it was reasonable to expect a fruitful year had the spring 
been favourable. But all these bright hopes have been dissipated, for 
surely never was known so disastrous a spring—from all parts come 
reports of scanty crops, foliage bruised, and in exposed situations torn to 
shreds ; nor, as far as I can learn, are there any exceptions to this 
unfortunate state of affairs, but trees under almost all methods of 
training and culture have suffered alike. It is only on trees in very 
sheltered positions that fair erops are to be seen.” 
Impartial persons after perusing the extracts'from Mr. Abbey’s letter, 
and the evidence of Mr. Luckhurst, will perhaps admit that I did not 
put an unfair construction on the article I ventured to criticise mildly, 
and that I had some slight grounds for my remaiks on page 234.— 
An Old Gaedeneb. 
BULBS FOR EARLY FORCING. 
It is surprising what a large part is played by Hyacinths, 
Tulips, and Narcissi in the decoration of greenhouses and 
consei’vatories during the sunless and dreary months of autumn, 
winter, and spring. The decorative value of these bulbous plants 
is beyond question, for they could not well be dispensed with in 
those gardens where flowering plants for room-decoration are 
killed by hundi’eds, and large quantities of flowers in a cut state 
are daily required for a variety of purposes. 
These ai"e amongst the easiest of bulbous plants to cultivate, 
and with ordinary care failure need not result when the season 
has fairly advanced; but to have them in flower very early is 
another thing, and more persons fail than succeed in the attempt. 
We have seen quantities of bulbs started to be in flower before 
the_ end of the year, but they have scarcely ever moved after 
their introduction into the forcing house, and if they have it is 
only to burst a flower or two at the extremity of the spi se, and 
they are then conveyed to the rubbish heap. This is not only 
vexing, but is waste of material, time, and monev. Failure in 
this respect is not always due to the absence of 'cultural skill, 
but frequently results from the impatience of their owners to 
have them in bloom really before the bulbs are ready. Frequently 
they are ordered to le placed in heat when such a step is wrong; 
but the error is only perceived by the authors of it when the 
spikes fail to grow and unfold their flowers. To attempt to 
drive the plants in that way is simj)ly commencing at the wrono’ 
end first. “ 
These bulbs can only be had in flower early in one way, and 
that is by potting as early as they can be obtained. They will 
not force into flower until their pots are full of roots, and then 
strong heat is ruinous. A moderate temperature of 55° to 60°, 
where a moist genial atmosphere is maintained, will bring them 
forward after the pots are full of roots and the foliage has 
commenced developing better than a temperature 10° or 15° 
higher. 
After the bulbs are potted they should remain under the 
ashes or other plunging material outside for six weeks. Tulips 
aie sometimes louger than that in starting early in the season. 
They should be left, however, until the pots are well filled with 
roots, for nothing is gained by bringing them out before they 
reach this condition. Light should be admitted to them gradually 
until they turn green, after which they are not long before 
they commence growing. Two or three wee's in a cold frame 
or cool house is not time lost but gained, for the plants make 
greater progress there than they would do in heat. It is a 
great inistake to introduce them from a cool temperature to 
the forcing house they should first occupy a position in a vinery 
or Peach house just starting, or any house where similar 
conditions are maintained. 
The early white Roman Hyacinths are the first bulbs to arrive, 
and for cutting and other kinds of decoration are unsurpassed. 
The first consignments arrive about the middle of July, and if 
obtained and potted or placed in boxes at once, their delicious 
flowers can be had from the middle to the end of October 
without resorting to any undue forcing. We require the blooms 
by the 1st of November, and w’e always pot on the 1st of August 
to accomplish this. The flowers are produced under cool treat¬ 
ment by the date named in the majority of seasons, and in the 
worst only require a week or ten days’ warmth to bring them 
fully out. When required only for ^cutting the bulbs are as well 
packed closely together in pans or boxes as placed in pots ; in 
fact, for the earliest flowers they are better placed thickly 
together, for they do not usually start so evenly and regularly 
as later in the season. When required, handsome pots can be 
made up by lifting the bulbs from the boxes as they come into 
flower, and the plants and flowers last quite as long as when 
grown in the pots. We have practised both systems, and find 
no perceptible difference. Later batches should be potted at 
intervals of a month as long as the bulbs remain fresh, but as 
soon as they show signs of gum oozing from them potting must 
not be delayed a day longer. The blooms of these are invaluable 
for cutting long after the varieties of Dutch Hyacinths can be 
produced. We usually place four or five bulbs in a 4-inch pot 
according to their size, use no drainage in the pots, giving pre¬ 
ference to a little decayed manure. Any light, sandy, moderately 
rich soil is suitable. The supply of Roman Hyacinth flowers 
can be maintained from October until March if the last batch is 
placed in a suitable position outside and covered with hamdlights 
just as they flower to prevent the flowers being injured by cutting 
winds and heavy rains. 
The blue Roman Hyacinth can be had in flower about Christ¬ 
mas if bulbs are obtained as early as possible. The flowers 
about that time are serviceable for cutting, but for decoration in 
pots it is worthless, for the foliage is produced before thei’e is 
any sign of flow'ers, and generally it is so long and weak that 
it falls over the sides of the pots unless supported with stakes. 
The large-flowering or Dutch Hyacinths should be potted at 
once, or as soon as they can be obtained, if they are to flower 
without much trouble by Christmas. We have on several occa¬ 
sions had Homerus, single red, in flower by the middle of 
December. This is the earliest of all Hyacinths, and forces 
well, on which account it is valuable, but scarcely worth growing 
later in the season, as the colour soon fades. L’Ami du Coeur is 
the next earliest red variety. 
La Tour d’Auvergne, double white, is only a few days later 
than Homerus. It is the earliest of all white Hyacinths, and 
decidedly the finest double variety for growing at any period 
during the season. The spike is large; the bells pure white, 
large, and very double, therefore invaluable for those who 
require to wire flowers in quantity for wre.aths, bouquets, or 
buttonholes. The earliest single white variety we have yet been 
able to discover is Grand Vedette, followed closely by Albertine, 
if it is not equally as early, but it will be tried on a larger scale 
this year. The first-named makes a grand pyramidal spike, is 
very dwarf in habit, with bells of a very large size. Amongst 
blush varieties Gigantea and Lord Wellington, singles, are Fhe 
earliest, but nearly a week later than those above named. Our 
earliest single blue is that finest of all blue varieties for deco¬ 
ration, Charles Dickens; it is a day or two earlier than the 
preceding two. 
Early single Tulips generally arrive about the same time as 
Hyacinths, and can, if started early, be had in flower with ease 
from the middle of December. The varieties of Due Van Thol 
are decidedly the earliest. The scarlet variety is good, also the 
rose-coloured. The others we have discarded in favour of 
Canary Bird, yellow, and White Pottebakker, which are only a 
few days later than Due Van Thol. White Pottebakker, in 
addition to its adaptability for early forcing, is perhaps the 
finest white Tulip in cultivation. When forced early it does not 
exceed 5 inches in height; the flowers are large, and beautiful 
for wreaths, vases, bouquets, or any^other purpose of decoration, 
and are very fragrant. All the Tulips used for early forcing are 
packed in pans and boxes, placing the bulbs about 2 inches 
apart, and then lifted out as they come into bloom, and even 
pots made up; the bulbs are tied in moss when used for baskets, 
peculiar shaped vases, and other receptacles. At one time we 
thought thi< rather a barbarous system, but it is decidedly the 
best, and the only means by which even pots full of bloom can be 
had so early in the season. The flowers last as long if the bulbs 
only are attached to them as if they possess roots. It is possible 
to have Tulips in bloom early in December. 
Paper White and Double Roman Narcissus bulbs generally 
arrive at the same time as the Roman Hyacinths, and if potted 
