48(3 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 3, 1886. 
and it having been in a dry quarter so long, 
combined with the frost, the soil has been in a most 
admirable condition for planting and sowing. There 
seems good reason to fear that heavy storms and rain¬ 
falls from the south west are undoing all the good in 
the soil the previous weather had worked. A cold late 
spring, even if a dry one, is not at all desirable, but it 
is not at all certain that a cold wet one is not a graver 
trouble. Certainly when the soil is dry we can sow 
and plant even though the coldness of that and the 
atmosphere may not favour growth. But when the 
soil is saturated with moisture, we can neither plant 
or sow, -whilst growth too is checked, and myriads of 
slugs and other pests prey wholesale upon what seed¬ 
ling plant life may be found. 
How rare it is that gardening conditions are so very 
favourable that there is associated with them no 
absolute anxiety. When the winter really broke up, we 
were full of hope and pleasant anticipation, now has 
followed heavy cold beating rains, and the ground is 
chilled and saturated. Those favoured with very light 
soils may find the rain no great evil, although anxious 
for more warmth. Those troubled with stiff soils not 
only find work intensified, but see all the good effects 
of the winter frost disappearing, ere .they can be utilised. 
'-— 1 — 
ON THE CULTIVATION OF THE 
CHRYSANTHEMUM. -VII. 
I now come to a class of plants that are fast becoming 
general favourites with a large section of the public as 
well as the regular Chrysanthemum growers, viz., the 
early or summer-flowering varieties. There can be no 
doubt as to their great value for general cultivation 
out-doors, and also their usefulness for conservatory 
decoration. They are very easy to grow and possess a 
variety of colours, but like other plants they repay for 
a little extra attention. 
Where the grorver depends upon his display of bloom 
from plants grown in the borders, a selection of these 
useful varieties should be planted, as they will produce 
a quantity of bloom, and make the garden gay till the 
frost cuts them down. Even in the extreme north they 
will bloom well out of doors. 
Unlike the large-flowering section, these early-flower¬ 
ing varieties can be bloomed in small pots, and excellent 
plants can be grown in 4| in. pots, to produce a quantity 
of bloom. Some of the varieties can be had in flower 
in June, but as a rule September is quite early enough, 
as it is then that we appreciate their usefulness. As to 
the time to commence propagating, a great deal depends 
upon the time they are wanted to bloom and also the 
size of plants desired. I think February quite soon 
enough to commence their propagation as at that time 
of year the cuttings can be inserted and grown on with¬ 
out receiving any check. Some good illustrations of 
these useful varieties were given in The Gardening 
World for October 31st, and November 7th, 1885 ; 
several of the varieties there illustrated -were not struck 
until the end of March. 
For general decorative purposes cuttings may be 
inserted any time from February to June, and should 
be about 3 ins. long, and neatly trimmed, so that they 
appear like the illustration given on page 216. Insert 
them in a compost prepared according to directions 
there given. As soon as they are rooted, stop them, 
and in a week they should be potted singly into 3-inch 
pots. When the roots reach the sides of these pots, 
pinch them again, and in a week or ten days they may 
be again potted, this time into 4± in. pots. 
If the plants were struck in February they can be 
further stopped when the shoots are about 4 ins. long, 
and of course, they will require larger pots to bloom in, 
but for ordinary conservatory or -window decoration, 
4£ in. or 6 in. pots are quite large enough to bloom the 
plants in, and the cuttings need not be inserted before 
the end of March. If cuttings are put in about the end 
of June and twice stopped, they make useful plants for 
the conservatory, for October and November. For 
outdoor culture they should be planted out about the 
end of April. Carefully prepare the ground beforehand, 
by forking in some well-rotted manure, and attend to 
stopping the shoots when about 4 ins. long, but do not 
stop after the first week in June. 
The plants will require the same treatment as to 
watering, syringing, &c., as previously directed for the 
large-flowering varieties, and they will also be benefited 
by receiving manure-water after the buds are set; in¬ 
structions for this shall be given in a future number. 
The following will be found a good selection for the 
amateur to commence with. The first variety I must 
mention is that little gem, La Petite Marie, pure white, 
very early and divarf, and a good variety for pots or 
borders. Next to claim attention is that splendid white 
variety, Madame C. Desgrange, and its yellow sport, 
G. Wermig ; and among new varieties, Mandarin, a 
very free-flowering Japanese variety ; Pomponium, a 
very pretty and free-flowering variety ; Surprise, Roi 
des Precoces, La Bien Aimee, and Ete Fleuri. — IF. E. 
Boyce. Archway Road, Highgate. 
-—- 
HYACINTHS.* 
The honorary secretary of our horticultural club has 
invited me to say a few words upon bulbs and bulb¬ 
growing in Holland, and wdiile feeling willing, or even 
anxious to oblige the members, I will endeavour to 
meet your wishes, but the subject has been treated 
upon so much before that I must request your kind in¬ 
dulgence. Bulbs or flower-roots have for over 250 years 
been grown and cultivated in the vicinity of Haarlem, 
and their cultivation has gradually increased in im¬ 
portance, until it has reached its present position. 
Among the admirers and lovers of plants and flowers, 
bulbous plants have always found many ardent pro¬ 
tectors. No doubt the great and constant advance 
which civilization has made in nearly all quarters of 
the world has greatly aided to extend the cultivation 
of flower roots, and increase the demand, even in 
countries where fifty years ago there was not a single 
bulb, and where Hyacinths and Tulips were nearly 
unknown. 
An advantage which bulbs have over plants in general 
is, that bulbs have nearly all a yearly period of rest, 
when they can -without much injury be packed and be 
exported to the most distant places. An advantage 
worth mentioning is that after they have done bloom¬ 
ing and have grown to their full maturity they require 
only to be placed in a dry locality, and for a considerable 
time require no labour or attention. A further im¬ 
portant advantage of such bulbs as Hyacinths, Tulips, 
&c., is that by artificial treatment they can be brought 
to grow and bring out their bloom several months 
earlier than they would do if kept out of doors and 
left to their natural development, which for winter- 
blooming plants makes them unequalled by any other 
family among living plants. 
I must mention first of all the so-much-beloved 
Hyacinth, as being not only one of the most esteemed 
among bulbs, but also one of the most beautiful, 
although at the same time the most difficult in cultiva¬ 
tion and the most expensive to bring to perfection. The 
name of this genus originated with the w-riters of 
antiquity. Hyacinthus, a beautiful boy, was the son 
of a Spartan king and the favourite of Apollo. Zephyrus, 
being envious of the attachment of Apollo and Hya¬ 
cinthus, so turned the direction of a quoit which Apollo 
had pitched while at play that it struck the head of 
Hyacinthus and slew' him. The fable concludes by 
making Apollo transform the body of his favourite into 
a flower that bears his name. 
The Hyacinth is a native of the Levant, and was 
first introduced into England in the year 1596 ; but it 
V'as known to Dioscorides, who wrote about the time 
of Vespasian. Gerard, in his Herbal, published at the 
close of the sixteenth century, enumerates four va¬ 
rieties—the siugle and double blue, the purple, and 
the violet. In that valuable book on gardening, 
Paradisus in Sole, Paradisus Terrestris, published bv 
John Parkinson in 1629, eight different varieties are 
mentioned and described. He tells us, “Some are pure 
white, another is nearly white with a bluish shade, 
especially at the brims and bottoms of the flowers. 
Others, again, are of a very faint blush ; some are of a 
deep purple near violet, others of a purple tending to 
redness, and some of a paler purple, Some, again, are 
of a fair blue, others more watchet, and some of a very 
pale blue. After the flowers are past the stem bears a 
Sound black seed, great and shining, from which, after 
sowing and protecting, the new varieties can be ob¬ 
tained.” During the 250 years that have passed since 
the above was published, there has been a steady im¬ 
provement in size, form, and colour of the flowers of 
this plant. From the eight varieties of 1629 more than 
4,000 varieties have been produced, of which, however, 
the greatest number have become extinct or out of 
»A paper by Mr. Potman Mooy, of Haarlem, read before th 
Horticultural Club, March 2Srd. 
cultivation. Many have been thrown out to make room 
for the latest improved sorts, from which about 200 va¬ 
rieties only are at present subject to extensive commerce. 
The Hyacinth is a general favourite in the most ex¬ 
tensive application of the word, and the varieties in 
colours of different shades, from the purest white to 
the deepest shades of scarlet, purple, black, yellow, and 
violet, are fully equal to that of any other florists’ 
flower. The Hyacinths are usually grown for forcing 
into flower in the dull cheerless months of winter and 
early spring, when their delicately coloured flowers and 
rich fragrance lend a charm not otherwise to be ob¬ 
tained. They are equally desirable for planting in 
beds or in the garden border. 
When looking over the cultivation of Hyacinths in 
Holland, which I have studied practically all my life, 
I must say that very great changes have taken place 
during that period in the taste and opinions of what a 
good Hyacinth should be ; and, as a matter of course, 
this change has considerably influenced the varieties 
which have been propagated and grown. About sixty 
to seventy years ago there was a taste in general for the 
double-flowering varieties, and more particularly for 
the flowers with dark or in other colours striking eyes 
or centres, and I remember the time that a few beds 
sold by public auction realised very high prices indeed, 
while the varieties thus sold at present are not to be 
found. These double varieties were mostly very small 
bulb producers, which fact contributed very much to 
their being neglected and to their loss of favour in 
public estimation ; while the considerable increase of 
trade, and (in consequence of this) also increased com¬ 
petition amongst nursery and seedsmen abroad, stimu¬ 
lated by the feeling of revival in all branches of trade 
at the fall of Napoleon, our French oppressor, brought 
on a gradual alteration in the Hyacinth fancy, as every 
tradesman—excited by the competition of his neigh¬ 
bours—was looking out for the largest-sized bulbs 
among Hyacinths, basing their trade recommendation 
upon the general but erroneous belief of the general 
public that naturally the largest bulbs must also pro¬ 
duce the largest flower spikes. 
The small bulb producing varieties, however beautiful 
they might be, could not at that time find buyers, and 
growers were then compelled to meet the alteration in 
public taste as quickly as possible, and as this alteration 
in taste came rather suddenly and much quicker than 
the slow growth and propagation of the desired sorts 
could meet, prices at that time rose wonderfully high. 
In this run after large bulbs among Hyacinths many 
sorts with very inferior flowers were brought out in 
quantity ; but although these large bulbs did increase 
the general trade, and so far gratified the tradesmen 
abroad by a greater sale and more profit, still they did 
not satisfy the amateurs, and better large flowers were 
looked after. After large-sized bulbs with large spikes 
of flowers became the demand the single-flowering 
varieties have been found more capable of giving 
satisfaction than doubles, and when we compare the 
large spikes of the present day -with the sorts we had 
sixty years ago we can only be well satisfied at the 
great progress we have been able to make. Although 
the double-blooming varieties have at present become 
so much neglected, mostly because of their small-sized 
bulbs, there are some few double sorts which have 
pretty well maintained their position in public 
estimation, but their number is small compared with 
the large number of single ones in cultivation, and 
their great beauty will certainly cause them long to 
remain great favourites with lovers (of very fine large 
flower spikes. 
Among the esteemed double sorts I may mention 
Lord Wellington and Grootvorst, rose ; Prince of 
Waterloo, La Tour d’Auvergne, and Florence Night¬ 
ingale, white ; Louis Philippe and Garrick, dark blue ; 
Blocksberg and Rembrandt, light blue. Of the double 
yellow flowers Goethe is about the best, but most in 
this colour have rather small spikes. Of dark reds among 
the double flowers there are only a very few varieties, 
of which Louis Napoleon and Waterloo are about the 
best, but the latter sort is not so fully double as could 
be wished for. 
Among the single varieties we at present possess the 
greatest variety of colours, and among them we can 
now show superb large and handsome flowers, such as 
are Garibaldi, Pellissier, Scarlet Light, brilliant 
scarlets ; Fiancee Royale, Gertrude, Koh-i-noor, Prima 
Donna, Yon Schiller, reds ; Carlyle, Charles Dickens, 
Dr. Livingstone, Gigantea, Macauley, roses ; La 
