THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Ateil 5, 1359. 
9 
kind. Who lias the best selection of kinds P and who 
can teach gardeners the proper way to classify them ? I 
cannot do it; and I do not know a single individual who 
can. Suppose we all begin, and see what we can muster 
while they are yet in flower. 
In writing about a bed of Hyacinths last week, I forgot 
to say that Prince Albert, being the darkest, ought to 
stand in the centre of the blues. Suppose a circular bed, 
and then in it I would put three or five of Prince Albert 
in the centre, then a ring of General Havelock, another 
ring of William I. ; the rest as they stand in my list. 
Another way would be, a cluster of five Prince Albert, or 
of General Havelock, in the centre; then a ring of Tour 
d'Auvergne, one of the best whites ; then the next shade 
of blue, then Madame Van der Hoop, the next best white ; 
after that, the next shade of blue, and the next best white, 
to the outside. Blue and white alternately, but shading 
the blue, and keeping the darkest farthest from the eye. 
Five or seven rows of a ribbon on a long, straight border 
of these kinds and colours would look well. Another 
ribbon of four kinds of Hyacinths would be splendid. 
Aurora, a scarlet crimson, at the back; Miss Purdett 
Coutts, a creamy white, next; General Havelock, the 
darkest shade of blue, next; Prince of Waterloo, a fine 
white, or any other approved white ; then scarlet again— 
say Rutilans, or Napoleon III., or any bright scarlet, or 
nearest to it. The creamy white is to stand for pure white ; 
and in the second repetition I would put a creamy yellow, 
Honing Von Holland, in place of Miss Purdett Coutts; 
and the last blue row next or nearest the walk would be 
of Argus, the finest thing of the kind that ever was" in¬ 
troduced. It is a single bell, and has a white inside, or eye. 
There is no novelty about having whole beds of Hy¬ 
acinths out in the garden ; but nothing is yet in print, as 
far as I know, as to how to plant the kinds to give the 
colours according to the taste and judgment of the age. 
But any lady, or gardener, who has had practice in this 
style, could make ten or twelve kinds of arrangements 
from my list made at Mr. Cutbusli's. But I ought to tell 
the reason why I am so particular on the point. 
Some years since I received instructions to have two 
large, oblong match beds in front of the conservatory at 
Shrubland Park, filled with Hyacinths next spring. It 
was then near the end of November; and I was in a great 
taking, being so late, for two reasons;—the best kinds 
might have been sold out by that time, and it was six or 
seven weeks later than I thought desirable; therefore, I 
wrote to Mr. Carter, of High Holborn, for about four 
hundred roots of the common cheap kinds ; but he had 
sold out all that were common, and sent me the very best 
kinds. Well, I took his catalogue to see what I could 
make out to help in planting them; but I was so bothered 
with this being a single, and that a double red or white, 
that it would take me a week to get out of the confusion : 
but good planting was then the exception all over England, 
and I dare not put in a word against the nonsensical way 
of having each colour in single and double lists, as if that 
could make any difference to the effect of colours. I 
planted them in about a third-rate style, and they bloomed 
very finely indeed. It was a fine April, the place was high 
and dry, and many people saw them Although I could 
not plant the colours better, and although the style or 
effect was not above third-rate, I must confess that, from 
that April to this, I have not seen a Hyacinth-bed one 
half so good as that. So I know where the shoe pinches ; 
and I shall be obliged to any lady who will furnish me 
with the names of any new or old Hyacinths that she 
may bloom this spring, and which appear to be as good 
as those I named, but of a different shade. 
What plant for the flower-borders cannot be propagated 
in the spring with profit? Aubretia purpurea, most 
certainly. People do admire it so much in such pro¬ 
fusion round the Tulip vases at the Experimental, that 
the constant cry is, " How did you get such quantities 
of it?” That is, however, but a common exclamation; 
and the thing itself—I mean the purpurea —is so common 
hereabouts, that I seldom take notice of what is said. 
But, the other day, a really good gardener told me he could 
never manage to get a stock of it; and the answer I made 
him was, “ I shall tell you the reason why in The 
Cottage Gaedenek.” Well, it will not strike by the 
ordinary means; and if it did, the temptation to spoil 
a bed of it in bloom might be too much for those who 
want it. The middle of May is about the time it has 
done flowering; and in large masses no flower is more 
effective in that tint—a light blueish-lilac. After flower¬ 
ing, it may be said to Btop growth, like a bulb, till the 
autumnal rains and long nights set it in motion; and it 
is from September to February that it makes its annual 
growth. Then, from the middle or end of October till 
Christmas is the lawful time to have it from cuttings of 
the young wood, before the flower-buds are formed. But 
thousands have no stoves, or propagating-houses, for that 
work in winter. The Experimental is one of that number, 
and necessity was the mother of invention there. At 
first “ it would not strike no how and at last every 
morsel of it rooted as freely as a Punch Geranium. As 
soon as it is out of bloom, the old flowering shoots are 
put in for cuttings, just like Pink pipings, only that they 
are put in pots, the pots plunged in a cold, shaded border, 
with a hand-glass over them ; and they take a long time 
to strike, but never fail to do so; but in heat, or any of 
the propagating-department waj^s, you might just as well 
try cuttings of the Scotch Fir. It ought to be called the 
Lilac Chain, to encircle beds, baskets, or vases, and to 
make an outside fringe for ribbons. E. Beaton. 
SOME HINTS FOB. MANAGING A LATE 
YINEBY. 
“ I have a small vinery where the Vines are now be¬ 
ginning to swell their buds. The house is heated, in the 
old-fashioned way, by a flue. Shall I commence by lighting 
the fire in the evening, or in the morning ? Some of my 
neighbours say, ‘ Light the fire in the morning, and give 
heat with light and air, allowing the fire gradually to die 
out in the evening.’ Others say, ‘ Light the fire in the 
evening, and make it up for the night.’ 
“ What temperature is required by day, or what by 
night P And please to tell me if the border should be 
covered with fermenting manure at this season? The 
Vines are planted outside. Should the Vines be syringed, 
or any kind of moisture kept up after the fruit begins to 
colour ? Is it best to keep fire heat until the fruit is ripe, 
or to leave off fires after the fruit is stoned, and allow 
the Grapes to swell and colour without artificial heat P ”— 
A Subsckibek to The Cottage Gaedenee, North Riding 
of Yorkshire. 
We should like to answer your questions definitely; 
but very likely, if we did so, we should only mislead you. 
So mqch of the correct in practice depends upon circum¬ 
stances, that if these are not taken into consideration, 
mere definite rules will be of little benefit. Many be¬ 
ginners are thus led into error by following the advice of 
one clever man to-day, and a somewhat contrary advice, 
but equally suitable to other circumstances, to-morrow. 
Hence the worker, by mere routine, will often get into 
errors, from which the man who regulates his practice 
by circumstances will be comparatively freed. If we 
can make this sufficiently plain, then you will get hold of 
a principle of action that will enable you to suit your 
operations to your circumstances, and the objects j r ou 
have in view. 
Thus, the first question you wished solved, as to firing 
in the morning, or at night, should, properly, be preceded 
by another, namely :—“ Is there any necessity, except in 
extra pold weather, for having any firing at all just 
now?” The answer to this must depend upon whether 
you wish to have your Grapes in the first, or the last. 
