22 
CULTURE OF HYACINTHS. 
The compost used^at Haarlem, (the centre of Hyacinths in Hol¬ 
land) is rotten cow dung, rotten leaves, and fine sea sand. In mak¬ 
ing this compost, the Dutch gardeners prefer the leaves of elm, lime 
and birch, on account of their rotting more quickly than those of 
other trees. The cow dung which they use is also of a peculiar 
quality, being collected without any mixture of straw or other litter, 
in the winter, when the cattle are fed upon dry food. The cow dung 
and leaves must not be used till they are thoroughly decayed ; the 
compost should then be mixed in the following proportions, viz ; one 
sixth rotten leaves, two sixths pure sand, and three sixths rotten cow 
dung; and it should be allowed to be together some time, to amelio¬ 
rate and incorporate, before it is used for the beds. This compost 
retains its qualities about six or seven years, but the Dutch avoid 
setting Hyacinths in it two years successively ; nor do they set them 
in it the first season, as the fresh manure might be injurious to them. 
In the alternate years they plant Tulips, Narcissi, &c. The beds 
should be made about three feet in depth with the compost, and must 
not be trodden down hard, but, trenches being opened, the bulbs 
may be arranged, and then carefully covered from three to five inches 
deep. They should not be dibbled or pressed into the compost. A 
little pure sand placed round the bottoms of young bulbs is believed to 
prevent them from cankering. The later sorts may be placed nearest 
the surface, to make them flower earlier. If the situation is wet in 
winter, the beds may be raised six inches, or even more, above the 
level of the soil, to prevent the injury which the bulbs might receive 
from moisture; but if too much elevated they will suffer from 
draught. The Dutch cover their beds with dung in winter, to keep 
off the frost, but this appears unnecessary in our climate. When 
the leaves of Hyacinths begin to wither, the bulbs should if possible 
be pulled out of the bed by the hand, to avoid the danger of cutting 
them with a spade ; the leaves should be cut off, and each bulb laid 
on its side, covering it lightly with the compost about two inches 
thick ;—in this state they should be left about a month (but. the 
tardy sorts are usually left longer and more lightly covered) and then 
taken up in dry weather, and exposed to the open air for some hours, 
but not to a powerful sun, which would be very injurious to them. 
They should after this be carefully examined, and the decayed parts 
of any bulbs which may have cankered, must be removed with a 
knife, for which purpose it will sometimes be ffecessary to cut deep, 
for if it is not done effectually, the whole bull) becomes diseased and 
infects others which may be near it. 'The bulbs should be placed in 
an airy storeroom about the end of June ; they must not be suffered 
