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THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Eebkuaey 9, 1858. 
and certain conditions, before they can be successfully 
forced. 
2nd. The pots, or glasses must be well nlied witn 
roots, before they will bear much excitement by heat. 
These points will bear a little further explanation. 
It does seem strange, even to a practical person, that a 
bulb in a pot, shall be for at least two months rooting 
with the utmost luxuriance, and yet not making the 
least effort at movement in the bud. Hut, such is the 
case : and it plainly shows that in the course of its 
| ripening in the preceding summer, what an emptying 
of the watery fluids there must have been. That 
these new, white, and succulent fibres are rapidly 
absorbing from the soil there can be no doubt. But 
it happens just so with deciduous and other shrubs 
or trees, albeit in different degrees. Bet anyone at 
this period, or indeed any time from November to 
January, examine the soil for three inches in depth 
over the roots of a Black Currant bush, in healthy 
condition, and not dug over, and he will find mul¬ 
titudes of white fibres in full action, as fresh and as 
young as those of the bulbs. In taking up Asparagus to 
force a month since, we found thousands of young 
rootlets, or side fibres in full action. There can be little 
doubt, therefore, but the emptied cells in the interior 
of the bulb, must be replenished to a given point, 
before any proper advance can be made by the bud of 
the bulb. This process requires, as far as my ex¬ 
perience goes, about nine weeks ; but, if it be prolonged 
to twelve or more, so much the better for the blossom 
as to strength. But they not only require time, but 
certain conditions also, as accompaniments. Bulbs 
coming naturally in the open soil in this country, are 
never thoroughly dry. The dryest period they undergo, 
is generally during the months of August and Septem¬ 
ber. They are in constant darkness — bulb, fibre, 
and rising bud; the latter until nearly four inches in 
height: and when they emerge from the soil, and tlience- 
forwards, their inurement to the light is so gradual, 
that they are prepared to meet every contingency. 
These conditions then, have to be approached as near 
as may be, both in glass and pot culture. Bulbs abhor 
a dry and hot air before they have abundance of roots ; 
indeed, they never enjoy it under any circumstances. 
Those in pots, plunged overhead fohr inches in depth, 
in cinder ashes or old tan, or even clean sand, enjoy all 
the same conditions as those in the border: but what 
shall we say of glass or water culture P Here, the 
glasses are not unfrequently placed on a hot mantel¬ 
piece ; and, it is strange to find them occasionally 
doing pretty well, in spite of such adverse conditions. 
But, be it remembered, it is only the earlier and easily- 
forced kinds, that the wary Hollanders recommend for 
glass culture; if they were to advise some of the 
double and late kinds, their trade as to glasses, would, 
before long, sensibly diminish. 
We will now suppose that the pots have under¬ 
gone a two-months’ plunging, as before described; 
and that it is now the early part of November; and 
that it is desirable to have a batch in blossom for 
Christmas ; which is about as early as I could ever 
obtain them, and few get them earlier—not one in a 
score so early without many failures. 
I may here describe what I did with mine this 
season, and they have succeeded admirably, to be so 
very early j for I had some nice blooms of various 
colours by Christmas. I obtained my bulbs as early 
as they could be had in September, and potted them 
immediately. The soil was strong, indeed, some¬ 
what adhesive, but mellowed loam half-dried in-doors. 
About one-half of this, and a quarter of old cowdung, 
and a quarter of sand, were the compost. I, however, 
generally add a little old, well-decayed leaf soil. The 
pots receive one or two good hollow crocks; and on 
this a little coarse horse droppings, which had dried 
for months in the bin. The soil was tolerably dry, 
and the pots were well shaken as the filling proceeded, 
in order to consolidate it. The bulb was placed in 
a hollow with a little clean sand beneath it; the pot 
was then filled up with soil, leaving about one-half 
the bulb above the rim. They were then placed on 
an elevated spot, and plunged six inches above the 
ground level; covered, also, four inches in depth, with 
ashes. They were immediately covered with boards, 
merely to throw off the rain, and they had no moisture 
by any other means from the potting time until after 
they were introduced to heat; that is, from the early 
part of September to the early part of November. 
I will now for a moment revert to the conditions 
necessary on introducing them to bottom heat—so 
indispensable, I consider, to success in very early 
forcing. In the first place, they will not bear ex¬ 
tremes. I consider that 75° are the maximum that may 
be permitted; anything between 65° and 75° is con¬ 
genial. 
After covering in the manner and for the time I 
have described, they come out nearly as moist as they 
entered; and they do not need water, with me, for, 
perhaps, a week or more afterwards. By plunging 
them in such a temperature, covering them again 
about three inches in depth, and warding off all sun¬ 
shine, they come on splendidly. In my case they 
were in the front of a pit, made warm with leaves and 
dung mixed; they were placed on boards for fear of 
any chance of burning. Here, after remaining three 
or four weeks, their stout buds might be seen emerg¬ 
ing above the plunging materials ; and they were, in 
succession, removed to a plant house, which was kept 
rather warm, and placed under the stage in the shade 
for nearly a week; and from thence to the plant 
shelves, or drawing-room, as occasion required. If 
they are suddenly exposed to light, especially sun¬ 
shine, the necessary consequence is, that the earliest- 
formed bulbs are prematurely developed: they have 
not taken the necessary time for their formation. 
I imagine that if we could witness what is going 
on in the interior of the Hyacinth bell all the time it 
is progressing to the earliest development of the first 
“bell,” we should rather wonder, than otherwise, that 
they will submit to the liberties we take with them. 
Here I must remark on the vast difference there 
is in the kinds of Hyacinths as to forcing purposes. 
Many of the very early kinds are forced with little 
difficulty ; and amongst the later kinds there is a 
great difference in their way of rising through the 
soil under forcing conditions. Some show their blos¬ 
som-shoots almost before a leaf appears; others mil 
shoot forth leaves, four inches long, before the blossom- 
bud can be at all discovered. Now, this is not only a 
question of kinds, or of earliness or lateness alone : 
much must depend on the character and growth of the 
bulbs in the preceding summer. It must not be sup¬ 
posed, because a bulb looks large, and its skin well 
dressed, and made to shine, that all is- right within : 
there maybe something “rotten in the state” after 
all. I dare say, did we know at all times the precise 
history of the bulb, and some maltreatment it may 
have received within in regard to its previous growth, 
insects, or rest condition, that we should lose a por¬ 
tion of our confidence in forcing it. 
I think it well to say here something about retard¬ 
ing them; for when ladies or gentlemen leave their 
homes for a week or two, it is a pity that Hyacinths in 
fine bloom should be hastened to decay, if any means 
can be adopted by which we can preserve them. All 
they require to preserve them as long as possible are 
a very low temperature, a dryish ah’, and a partial 
deprivation of light. Prom 35° to 40° is amply sufficient: 
