o 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[A PR IT. 4. 
Prize Flowers at many exhibitions, we offer the fol¬ 
lowing as 
Characteristics or a Goon Hyacinth. 
Size and Form of Spike .—To be a fine specimen, the 
spike ought to be at least six inches long, and two 
inches in diameter at the lowest and broadest part, 
tapering gradually up to a single pip, as shewn in our 
drawing. But form, or proportion, is the greatest 
merit; and the handsomest proportions for the spike 
are for its length to be twice the diameter of its lowest 
part, and for the whole spike to form a cone. 
Size and Form of Pips .—The outline of each, look¬ 
ing at in front, should be circular; and, looking at 
in profile, it should be semicircular. In other words, 
each pip should be half a globe. To effect this, the 
petals (if the flower is single) require to be strongly 
bent back, or reflexed, so as to throw forward the 
centre. In double flowers it is not needed for the outer 
so as to aid the pips in adapting themselves to a conical 
form, and yet to keep their broad faces, or discs, full 
before the eye. 
Colour .—What we say on this point is applicable to 
competing flowers of every species, for in all it should 
he esteemed as entirely subordinate to form and size. 
The reason for this is sound; for form and size, if no 
accident interferes, are superior just in proportion to 
the skilfulness of the cultivation. Colour, therefore, 
should have no further weight than to turn the scale 
in favour of the best coloured, provided that two speci¬ 
mens are equal in form and size. In the case of seifs— 
that is, flowers of one colour—the most uniform and 
brightest are best; but in flowers of more than one 
tint the colouring is best where the colours are distinct, 
and not clouded into one another. 
Fragranee .—When flowers, such as is the Hyacinth, 
are of a kind yielding a perfume—if the rivals are equal 
in other qualities—-we should award the prize to the 
most fragrant. It is even a criterion of good cultiva¬ 
tion; for just in proportion to the flowering vigour 
of a plant is its fragrance. An over-luxuriant and a 
weakly-grown plant have the fragrance of their flowers 
diminished. 
The following list of Hyacinths embraces those which 
are of very moderate price, and yet, if well grown, are 
capable of attaining as high a degree of excellence as 
any that, as greater novelties, are of higher marketable 
value. The prices specified in our list are those at 
which the bulbs will be purchaseable next October:— 
DOUBLE ItED. 
Bouquet Roy ale, Is. 
Endracht, Is. 
Prince of Wales (splendid 
form), .Is. 
SINGLE BED. 
Diebitscli Sabalskansky, Is. 
L’Ami du Cceur, Od. 
Lord Wellington, Is. 
DOUBLE WHITE. 
Grande Monarque de France, 
Is. 
La Tour d’Auvergne, Is 3d. 
Ne Plus Ultra, Is 3d. 
SINGLE WHITE. 
Grand Yainquer, Od. 
La Candeur, Od. 
Victoria Regina, Is Od. 
DOUBLE BLUE. 
Bouquet Pourpre, Od. 
Lord Wellington, Od. 
Prince Van Saxe Weimar, 
Is 3d. 
SINGLE BLUE. 
Emieus, Od. 
Grand Yidette (beautiful por¬ 
celain blue), 3s. 
Orondates, Is. 
YE I LOW. 
Heroine (the best), 3s. 
La Favorite, Od. 
La Belle Jaune, Od. 
petals to be much bent back, as the semi-globular form 
in these is partly attained by the inner petals being 
imbricated, or lapped over each other in tiers, like the 
tiles on a roof. The lower pips should be large—an 
inch and a quarter in diameter is a superior size ; and 
the pips of each circle should gradually diminish in 
diameter as they approach nearer to the summit. The 
petals should be thick, glossy surfaced, as if made of 
wax, and rounded at the end. Sharp pointed petals 
always injure the outline of the form of the spike. 
1 he footstalk, or stem, of the spike should be straight, 
stout, and of height sufficient to raise the lowest part of 
the spike just above the points of the leaves. The foot¬ 
stalk of each pip should be gradually shorter as they ap¬ 
proach newer to the top; and each should spring from 
the stem at an angle just a'little - less than 'a right angle, 
THE E11UIT-GAUDEN. 
Vine Borders In-doors. —We believe we shall be 
performing a duty to one class of the readers of The 
Cottage Gardener in offering a few remarks on this 
head, for although advice concerning this subject has 
at times been offered it has been somewhat piecemeal. 
The first consideration is the depth of soil necessary: 
the next drainage, the position of which, of course, will 
be regulated by the former. Now, seeing that in-doors 
the border will not be subject to the vicissitudes .of 
the seasons like out-door borders, the maxims ns to 
depth and texture which are considered imperative out¬ 
doors lose half their weight as to inside borders. Inside 
borders, too, depending as they must on hand-watering 
for their moisture, may possibly (unknown to the cul¬ 
tivator) become too dry beneath, whilst the surface 
appears damp. Under such circumstances, therefore, 
we think that a greater depth of soil becomes requisite 
