September 22. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
483 
say. In a vinery, I noticed some fine Black Hambro’ 
Grapes on vines planted, I believe, two years ago. 
Near the vinery, I saw some well-grown Chrysanthe¬ 
mums showing tiower-buds, as well as a nice collection 
of Camellias. These are to succeed the other green¬ 
house plants as soon as they are out of bloom. 
That which most interested me at this place, was 
I an experiment in cultivating the Potato, with a view to 
, prevent the dire disease from affecting the bulbs. I re- 
I member reading, some time since, an extract of an experi¬ 
ment of a similar nature. It is to plant some other plant 
amongst them. Mr. Barnett planted the common garden 
Beau for that purpose, and bis gardener assured me he 
I had not found a single diseased bulb up to the day I 
was there, though the foliage and stems bad evidently 
suffered greatly with the disease. As I know Mr. 
i Barnett is a reader of The Cottage Gardener, let mo 
add, that I am sure both .the Editor, myself, and our 
readers, would be much obliged by bis sending the 
final result of the experiment. If successful, it will 
be one of the most important discoveries in horticulture 
for many years. T. Appleby 
THE HYACINTH. 
( Continued from page 403. ) 
Culture in Beds. — Soil .—To grow Hyacinths well 
in beds the soil should be rich, light, and deep, 
supposing the soil of the garden is a sound loam, and 
well-drained. Then fix upon the beds intended for these 
bulbs, and excavate it to the depth of fifteen inches. 
Level the bottom, and place a layer of small stones, or 
brick-ends broken small, two inches thick. Cover this 
drainage with two inches of littery dung; then mix the 
soil that has been thrown out with some well-decom¬ 
posed cow-dung, some leaf-mould, and plenty of river or 
sea-sand, well screened. The proportions to be one part 
cow-dung, one part leaf-mould, to six parts of loam. 
Should the substratum be clayey, or gravelly, that part 
must be wheeled away, and as much good loam added 
as will replace it; then mix the compost well together, 
and fill the bed with it; let it be four or five inches 
above the former level, to allow lor settling; lay it 
perfectly level, so that it may have the full benefit of 
the rain that falls upon it. This preparation of the 
beds should be done immediately. If there is time, it 
would be all the better for a turn over before planting. 
I may just remark, that if cow-dung cannot be procured, 
hotbed dung, well-rotted, will do; but I greatly prefer 
the former, because it is of a cooler nature, and, 
generally, has less straw amongst it. I have used cow- 
dung gathered out of a pasture with capital success. 
Planting .—The best time for planting is the first 
week in October; though, if the weather is mild, they 
may be planted ns late as the middle of November. 
Much depends upon the weather and the state of the 
ground. It should, by all means, be moderately dry, 
and, therefore, it is better to wait a week or two should 
the season at the right time of planting bo wet. To 
prevent treading upon the bed at that time, lay upon it 
a narrow piece of board long enough to reach across it, 
or have the board strong enough to bear the planter’s 
weight, and raise it up at each end high enough to clear 
the bed ; then procure a dibber to plant them with, 
which, should be thick enough to make a bole as wide as 
the largest Hyacinth is in diameter, and the end that is 
thrust into the soil should be cut across, and a mark 
made just as far from the bottom as the bulbs should be 
covered with soil; the proper depth is three inches from 
the top of the bulb. Anybody, with a saw and a knife, 
could make such a one. Having a fine day, and the board 
and the dibber ready, then bring out the bulbs and 
place them on the bed just where they are to be 
planted. Each Hyacinth should have at least five 
inches to grow in, but six inches would not be too much 
space for the leaves to expand, especially if the same 
bulbs are to be planted again the following season. If 
the colours are to be mixed, place them so that the 
colours will succeed each other in rotation, as, for in¬ 
stance, 1, red; 2, blue ; 3, white ; 4, yellow; then 5, 
red, and so on, till the bed is full; or, if there are 
several beds, and it is desirable to keep the colours 
separate, so that one bed shall be red, another blue, an- I 
other white, and another yellow, then plant them accord¬ 
ingly. For a geometrical flower-garden, the latter mode 
will be preferable. As soon as one bed is placed with 
bulbs, then fix the board across at one end, and proceed 
to plant them. As the planting proceeds, have some of 
the compost ready, sifted through a coarse sieve, and 
fill up the holes with it. This is much better than 
i levelling the holes with a rake, because they are, when 
so covered, sure to be at the right depth. When all is 
planted, then rake the bed very lightly, and the opera¬ 
tion is complete. 
Shelters .—The Hyacinth is hardy enough to bear a 
moderate degree of frost; but it is advisable to cover 
the bed with about two inches of spent tanucr’s bark, 
to be removed early in spring, before the shoots appear 
above ground. Where this is scarce, half-decayed leaves 
would answer the same purpose, or a mat or two thrown 
over the bed would be protection sufficient. These 
shelters are for such Hyacinth beds as may be in an 
ordinary flower-garden on the lawn, or in beds, in a geome¬ 
trical flower-garden, with box, or other edgings, and gravel 
walks. If an amateur, or florist, cultivates the Hyacinth 
in long, common beds, like Tulips, a permanent shelter 
should be put up in the form of the bed, or the beds 
might be sheltered with hoops and mats. These kind 
of shelters can be used when the bulbs are in flower as 
a protection from sun, wind, and heavy rains. If so 
protected, the season of bloom will be considerably 
prolonged. 
Water .—As the season of the Hyacinth’s growth takes 
place during winter and early spring, it very seldom hap¬ 
pens that they require much water at the roots, but, during 
dry, narebing winds, which, sometimes occur in March, a 
slight sprinkling over the beds will be acceptable to the 
rising buds. In frosty weather, this should be applied 
in the mornings only ; but, if there is no appearance of 
frost, then water in the evenings also, previously to put¬ 
ting on the shutters for the night. This sprinkling maybe 
continued with advantage till the blooms begin to expand. 
I As soon as the bloom is over, the old flower stems should . 
be cut off, but not quite down to the ground, the covers 
removed, and as soon as the leaves turn yellow, the bulbs 
j should be taken up and laid upon a mat to dry. By being 
laid up on a mat they can be lifted easily under shelter 
in heavy rains, which would injure them much if allowed 
to fall upon them. When the leaves arc all quite 
decayed dress them off' carefully, without bruising the 
bulbs, and then put them away in a dry, cool room till 
the planting season comes round again. 
T. Appleby. 
STRAY NOTES ON PLANTING SHRUBS. 
Although, in the general routine of gardening opera¬ 
tions, each season has its peculiar duties, which, if not 
done then, often tell for the remainder of the year, or 
rather until the return of the same period again, yet 
there are periods in which certain operations seem to 
call for more special attention than others, as those re¬ 
lating to the spring and early summer. The progress 
then making renders it imperative for good cultivation 
that every seed or jilant then requisite to commit to the 
earth should be done without delay, in order to meet 
the requirements of after-times; and a little more than 
