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TIIE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN. 
BEST FIFTY HOLLYHOCKS. 
Light: Beauty of Milforcl , Cygnet, Cams Chafer, 
Queen, Royal White . 
Yellow, Orange, and Salmon : Hercules, John Cowan, 
Junia, Leah, Mrs. Downie, Stanstead Rival , Orange Boven, W. 
Bean, Yellow Defiance, Excelsior, Gem of Yellows Improved, 
John Row, Primrose Gem, Walden Queen. 
Crimson, Red, and Rose : Captain Grant, Earl of Rosslyn, 
Fanny Chater, George Keith, Glory of Walden, Lady Dacres, 
Lady Vaux, Lady Rokeby, Mrs. Bruce Todd, Queen Victoria, 
Rev. E. Ilawke, Royal Scarlet, Beauty of Walden, Crimson 
Royal, Garibaldi, Mrs. Hastie, Richard Dean, William Thomson , 
Lilac and Peach: Countess Craven, Countess Russell, Lilac 
Perfection, Ne Plus Ultra, Willingham Defiance, Miss Barrett, 
Rose Celestial. 
Purple and Maroon: Princess, Purple Emperor, Purple 
Prince, Othello, Black Knight, Lord Taunton, Purple Standard. 
Hyacinth. —This most valuable and early-flowering bulb 
is as well adapted for border culture as any plant in this list, 
though commonly regarded as a delicate thing that must be 
grown in pots with the aid of artificial heat. As “mixtures ” 
of bulbs sorted in colours can be purchased at an extremely 
low rate of the seedsmen, and as a number of splendid named 
varieties may be obtained at a rate but little in excess of that 
charged for mixtures, and as, moreover, the simplest culture 
suffices to insure a brilliant display, there is every reason to 
favour a more extensive employment of the hyacinth in the 
British flower garden. A rich sandy mellow soil they must 
have, and if the weather is dry for some time when these 
flower-spikes are rising, water must be given abundantly. 
Plant the bulbs in October and November full six inches deep 
and six inches apart. If they push through extra early, owing 
to warm weather in December and January, spread over the 
bed a mulch of stable litter or cocoanut-fibre refuse to protect 
them from frost. This, however, will rarely be necessary, for 
they are not injured by frosts of ordinary intensity. Take up 
and store the sand as soon as the leaves decay. We have 
within view of the windows at the moment of writing this 
(May 2), a glorious display of hyacinths, tulips, and narcissi, 
which were only planted on the 1st of March previously. 
