293 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, February 9, 1858. 
therefore, any cool room on the north side of a house, 
or building—one in which there is no fire—is an 
eligible situation for them; and they may be kept 
entirely away from the window for a week or so. 
I have hitherto spoken of Hyacinths forced as early 
as possible for drawing-room, or plant-house purposes; 
but, in fairness, I may observe, that in endeavouring 
thus to get them so very early, some will become 
slightly drawn, and would not please an exhibition 
man. But who exhibits at Christmas? Nevertheless, 
these things ought to be named, in order that no 
disappointment ensue. Exhibition Hyacinths are sel¬ 
dom required before March; and, when such is the 
case, there is no occasion for so much hurry in the 
matter. It is requisite that, in the case of exhibition 
Hyacinths, the “ bells ” be not too far apart. I may 
here observe, that, to obtain such qualities, the pots 
should be placed very near the glass, or light; for light 
it is, and air together, with very moderate excitement 
by heat, which cau/se them to bloom in a compact, or 
an exhibition form. Where Hyacinths in pots are not 
wanted before the middle of February, they require 
little ceremony. The best plan is, under all circum¬ 
stances, to obtain the roots the moment they are im¬ 
ported, and to pot them immediately. They may then 
be plunged out of doors, as before directed, and covered 
with quite six inches in depth of cinder ashes, for fear 
of frost. Here they may remain until past Christ¬ 
mas ; when they may be transferred to any mild green¬ 
house, and a little three-inch pot, inverted, placed 
over them, to keep them from intense light. Hya¬ 
cinths, as well as most other forced bulbs, delight in 
weak and clear liquid manure. I use weak guano 
water, at the rate of two ounces to a gallon. 
Some caution is necessary as to the roots getting 
through the bottoms of the pots, and over the surface. 
This is to be avoided. Cinders, ashes, or indeed any 
other soil-like material, will induce this. Hence, one ad¬ 
vantage in never plunging them. But the other course 
has its disadvantages likewise. They seldom, however, 
get much above the pots, until the chief fibres have 
descended to the bottom ; and, perhaps it would be 
a good plan to place bits of broken slate, glass, or any 
other hard material on the surface of the pots before 
plunging ; this would at once turn the fibres down¬ 
ward, where they would be of much service. 
What has been said of the Hyacinth, will apply in 
degree to Narcissi, Tulips, Jonquils, &c., using such 
modifications occasionally, as the natural habits of the 
plant will justify. I have tried the effect of a good 
covering of green moss on the Hyacinths, in water 
glasses ; and think that in excluding light, and warding 
off the dry heat of sitting rooms, it is highly to be 
recommended. R. Eerington. 
HEXTON HOUSE. 
{Continued from page 277.) 
In these days, gardeners will criticise and give their 
opinions pretty freely on most things ; and, many 
have said to me, how beautiful a flower garden would 
look on the eastern front, with the lake as its southern 
boundary. Here, however, to meet the rule referred 
to, the north side, at least, would have to be planted 
out, so that the garden should not be seen before 
getting to that front of the house. A fence would 
almost be required with a gate; the fence going 
from the house along its northern boundary. This, to 
a certain extent, would do away with the liberty-hall¬ 
like appearance of that side of the house at present; 
and, if a flower garden and shrubbery to any extent 
were placed there, one fine feature would be next to 
lost — the looking upon the comforts, sports, and 
gambols, of the sheep and cattle, grazing in the rich 
meadow—the sitting and living rooms being chiefly on j 
that side of the house. The width of gravel is, no 
doubt, designed to enable visitors to be set down at 
the east 'entrance, as well as at the north side ; but, if i 
that were to be entirely given up, by reducing the 
gravel from one-half to two-thirds; and, moving the j 
iron fence of the meadow a few yards backward, there j 
would be plenty of room for a neat parterre, so sunk in 
a panel as not to interfere with the landscape, nor the 
present view of live stock in the meadow, and yet the 
flowers and water would be seen distinctly from the 
windows. 
As already stated, the south, or conservatory front, 
has also a large width of gravel before it, imparting 
no element there of fitness, except that there, too, a 
carriage might be taken. Unless for such purposes, 
great breadths of gravel close to private residences, 
are anything but elements of beauty; though extremely 
narrow walks convey an idea of want of comfort and 
ease. The conservatory being here, and a piece of 
kept lawn westwards and southwards, between the 
head of the lake and the approach from Pegsden, if 
a flower garden near the house were desirable, this 
would have been its best position; and the east front 1 
would remain as it is. As at present managed, however, 
there is not sufficient room. I recollect one gardener ! 
dotting the sloping bank to the lake with small raised 
beds; but, they had so much of the mole heap, con¬ 
trasted with the green turf, that the lady, I presume, 
had them all removed. I have mentioned that the 
head of the lake here, is narrow, possessing nothing 
very attractive in itself, having no cascade or gurgling | 
stream passing into it ; and its proximity to the man- ■ 
sion, conveying the idea of damp soil and watery 
exhalations. The appearance of the house would have j 
been more magnificent, if the water from the spring 
had been brought under an archway, beyond the e&st 
corner of the house, and near to where the handsome j 
boat landing-place now is. The deep cutting for the 
narrow part of the lake might then have been level 
ground (may yet be ere long), and would have furnished 
a beautiful home-site for a flower garden, with a bank 
of evergreens for its southern boundary ; the lake as 
its eastern limit, and the present lawn with its good 
specimens now shut up in a corner, as its western 
boundary. Even now, a pretty panelled parterre 
might be made, by shortening the width of the sloping 
part of the lawn, where it joins the lake, and greatly | 
reducing the width of gravel. These suggestions are j 
made, because many now prefer seeing flowers near at ! 
hand, instead of going a great distance to look at them. 
There is nothing to prevent any such alteration of 
the bank, except a pretty young Tulip tree, a Thorn 
Acacia, and a neat specimen of the Aaronia Thorn, j 
On the west lawn referred to, are fine specimens of 
Box—Box hedges and Box under-growth, growing 
everywhere with great vigour. Some fine Arbor Viters, 
some fifty feet high; Red Cedars nearly as large ; some 
beautiful Weeping Ash; very elegant plants of Sweet 
Bays; a fine specimen of G-ymnocladus Canadensis, 
some sixty feet in height; some fine healthy Cedars of 
Lebanon; and, perhaps the most striking of all, is a 
dense mass of Arbor Vitce, sixty feet in diameter one 
way, and forty feet across the other diameter, pro¬ 
duced by a tree that had been blown down many 
years ago; the main stem still remaining, but the mass 
consisting now of ever so many stems, rising from the | 
old trunk, and most of them protruding roots for their j 
own support. 
The conservatory is a large elegant building, open¬ 
ing into one of the principal rooms. The west-end is 
glass, the lofty upright front is all glass, the roof is 
spanned glass, the back wall being opaque, and covered 
