OCTOBER. 
221 
white. Her boxes must be refilled with good fresh soil, and planted by the 
end of October. The surface of the soil thould be quite inch below the 
top of the box. The box must then be filled quite full of fine coal ashes, raised 
in the centre to throw 7 off the wet; and by-and-by when the balmy spring 
days come round, if these ashes are gently cleared away, it will be found that 
the bulbs have sent up strong shoots about 1 inch in height, from each of which 
will surely emanate a plurality of fine blossoms. Should severe weather by 
chance ensue, some simple means of defence can be extemporised to meet the 
necessities of the case. 
And then, respecting Hyacinths, I counsel my correspondent to grow 7 none 
of the cheap double kinds, and therefore I shall not recommend her an} 7 . For 
her half-a-dozen glasses I suggest Mimosa, dark, and Grand Lilas, light, single 
blues; Robert Steiger, deep red; Duchess of Richmond, deep pink; and 
L’Ornement de la Nature, or Emmeline, delicate w T axy blush; these three are 
classed as single reds, and Queen Victoria or Grand Vainqueur as single whites. 
The twelve for pots should be Baron Van Tuyll, Charles Dickens, Orondates or 
Regulus, and Prince Albert, single blues ; Monsieur de Faesch, Madame Hod- 
son, Sultan’s Favourite, and Tempel van Apollo, single reds ; Cleopatra, cream ; 
Themistocles or Madame Talleyrand, pure single w 7 hites ; and Heroine and 
King of Holland, single yellows. 
To grow these Hyacinths in glasses, clear spring or fresh rain water can be 
used, which should merely be allowed to touch the base of the bulb. Rain 
w 7 ater should not be employed unless it is quite fresh, or otherwise it soon be¬ 
comes putrid, and causes the roots of the bulbs to decay. Two or three lumps 
of charcoal put into each glass about two days before the bulbs are placed in 
them, in order to allow 7 of its becoming thoroughly saturated, and sinking to 
the bottom, will keep the w 7 ater from becoming rank, and prevent the necessity 
of its being often changed. Place the glasses in a dark and rather cool situa¬ 
tion until the roots have nearly reached the bottom of the glasses, when they 
can be brought to the light. The most airy and lightest part of a sitting-room— 
but as far from the fire as possible—is the best position for them. When the 
bulbs have been in the water about twelve or fourteen days, the base of each 
should be examined, and any decayed or slimy substance removed. As the 
bulbs make growth evaporation will take place, therefore the water should be 
replenished at intervals, care being taken that that which is supplied be not 
lower in temperature than that in the glass. 
The foliage of the plants should be kept scrupulously clean from any dust 
or dirt; a small piece of sponge will remove this with but very slight trouble. 
When the flower-spikes begin to show colour, the glasses should be kept filled 
to the brim with water, as at the period of flowering the bulbs absorb a great 
quantity of moisture. The flower should be removed from the action of the 
mid-day sun, as the bloom will thus be considerably prolonged. 
Successful cultivation in pots will depend in a great measure on the quality 
of the soil used for the purpose. It should be composed, one half of good 
fibrous loam, the other half of equal proportions of well-rotted dung and leaf 
soil. The pots should be from 5 to 6 inches in diameter. About two-thirds of 
the bulb should be buried, and the soil must not be pressed too hard about the 
base of the bulb, or in the act of rooting the fibres will be unable to penetrate 
the soil, and the bulb will be forced upw r ards. After planting the pots can be 
placed in a cool, dry, dark cellar, or out of doors, in a spot somew 7 hat screened 
from w 7 et, and if the pots can be stood on tiles or slates, so much the better. 
They should have a thorough soaking of water, and then be covered with fine 
ashes to the depth of from 2 to 3 inches. If planted about the end of 
October they will have made shoots 1 inch long by the beginning of March, 
