66 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
think otherwise; and no doubt in a short time we shall have them down to 
the old standard, or perhaps lower, as everything with us, that can be grown 
to meet an increased demand, is now soon multiplied by those who strive to 
supply the public. A few years ago it was our practice to save all offsets from 
the bedding Tulip roots at planting time, and prepare a border for them. They 
were then sown, and covered 6 inches with soil. A few of these invariably 
flowered in the spring; but the whole were lifted after their leaves died down, 
to make way for another covering. Being much pressed for labour, one spring 
we left the bulbs in the ground, and sowed the surface over with sweet Alyssum. 
To our great surprise the next spring these came up strong, and bloomed well, 
coming in most useful for house decoration. This was encouraging ; and when 
we came to take up the bulbs they were found to be a good size, and will no 
doubt all bloom in the flower garden this spring. I gather from this that one 
season is not sufficient, and that they are better in the ground two at least. 
But, what is more surprising, the same beds, although we were careful to 
gather every bulb, are now covered with leaves as thick as weeds. The sorts 
that were sown consisted of La Candeur, Rex Rubrorum, Imperatrice Rubrum, 
Tournesol, &c. The ground was trenched and well manured with rotten dung 
and road-scrapings, but good sand would be better ; and a three-years rest in 
the ground would also be advantageous, as I am persuaded the roots keep 
fresh, as well as work away all the season for the good of the bulb. 
Cliveden . J. Fleming. 
CHRONICLES OF A TOWN GARDEN.—No. XY. 
Joan of Arc, single white, a large-belled Hyacinth in the way of Mam¬ 
moth, but apparently an improvement on it, has been extremely fine with me 
in a glass. The bells are large and stout, but they did not reflex so much as 
I could have wished, and were too pendant on the spike. Like all the large- 
belled kinds, it is a vigorous grow r er, and had I placed it in a pot, instead 
of in a glass, I think it probable it would have rivalled to some extent a 
splendid Madame Van der Hoop, single white, in a pot close by the ledge on 
which Joan of Arc peacefully ekes out the remainder of her days. I shall not 
attempt to grow a large-belled Hyacinth in a glass again, they do better in 
pots. These robust growers want “feeding;” it is necessary that a strong 
stimulus should be administered to them, to bring out in rich fullness their 
stately forms. Torquato Tasso, single white, is a very pretty delicate blush 
flower, producing a good truss of moderate-sized well-shapen bells; but it 
betrayed a delicacy of constitution which snapped the frail thread of its 
existence somewhat prematurely. I however think it will prove a capital 
variety for cultivation in water. This, together with Lady Wellington, double 
red, an exquisite pale rosy blush flower, with carmine centre, and moderately 
sized bells thickly set on the spike; and Carmine, single red, a beautiful 
shade of bright deep carmine, which unfortunately prematurely bloomed, were 
sent to me by Mr. J. H. Veen. Of others, in glasses, I had El Dorado, single 
red, a small, but very bright flower; Charlemagne, single red, deep red, but 
too small; Homerus, single red, a very old and cheap pink flower; William 
the First, a good deep-coloured single blue; Emilius, single blue, light blue; 
Pomona, single red, pink, with darker stripes; and Porcelaine Sceptre, single 
blue, a good old-fashioned light blue, make up what were the most noticeable. 
A few others are only just showing colour. 
I think Mr. Jas. Cutbush was right when he said the other day at Liver¬ 
pool, that this was not “ a Hyacinth year.” This had already been predicted 
by some of the continental growers, as the frosts of the late spring of 1864 
