Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1874, by Henry T. "Williams, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at "Washington. 
By Henry T. Williams. 
Vol. III. 
NEW YORK, DECEMBER, 1874. 
No. 36. 
Price 12 Cents. 
HYACINTHS. 
In order to have in your window, during the early 
spring, a good show of these most bright and beau¬ 
tiful of early spring flowers, it is not necessary that 
there should be an expenditure of any great amount 
of money in the purchase of the named or double 
varieties, or even of the Hya¬ 
cinth glasses, which . are some¬ 
what expensive, costing even 
more than the best named bulbs. 
With proper treatment, by 
substituting mixed colors, single 
and double, of the unnamed 
bulbs—usually sold by the 
dozen—for the named double 
varieties, earth and suitable 
flowerpots for the glasses, you 
will find yourself equally as 
well repaid for work and trouble, 
and to the inexperienced a much 
greater certainty of success or 
satisfactory results will attend 
the use of the earth and pots than 
if water alone and glasses were 
used, or even any of the several 
other modes that are used by 
amateurs in growing the Hya¬ 
cinth for bloom. 
I would suggest as a collec¬ 
tion of bulbs — Hyacinths—per¬ 
haps two dozen of the unnamed 
mixed colors, single and double, 
with one or more of the named 
bulbs, as choice plants. About 
October 1st, having your selec¬ 
tion of bulbs at hand, procure 
as many small flowerpots as' 
you may need—allowing one 
bulb to a pot—in size about one 
inch, more or less, larger than 
the greatest diameter of a bulb ; 
a three or four-inch pot, perhaps. 
Procure of good rich garden 
soil a sufficient quantity to fill 
all the pots; sift and thoroughly pulverize, then fill 
each pot to the brim with the earth, settling it by a 
few slight jars. After all are filled, place a bulb in 
the centre of each pot and press it down into the earth 
or soil until it will just be covered, with the pots even 
full of earth. 
After thus sinking each bulb, place the pots to¬ 
gether, and with a fine rose-sprinkler dampen thor¬ 
oughly the contents of each pot. Now place them all 
in some place where the frost will. not touch them, 
turning them out of the pot, * * and if a complete 
labyrinth of roots is shown, they are ready to be re¬ 
potted. 
Procure five or six-inch pots, place in the bottom 
enough soil that, with the ball of earth from the 
smaller pot, will fill the pot to the top } turn out the 
contents of one of the smaller 
pots and place in the larger, 
filling in around the sides with 
the fine earth. After all are 
thus transferred, sprinkle and 
place iu your window, allowing 
them some sun and a dampen¬ 
ing each day, treating them 
about the same as other window 
A succession of bloom can be 
secured, if desired, by bearing 
in mind that the more light and 
frequent dampening they re¬ 
ceive the earlier they will 
bloom, and treating according¬ 
ly ; but in no case must they be 
kept too damp, Sprinkling per¬ 
haps every second day, unless 
they seem to require more water 
in consequence of the dryness 
of the soil. W. R. S. 
* To turn out intact the contents of a 
ilower-pot, dampen the soil throughout, 
place the open palm upon the top, cover¬ 
ing as much as possible, invert the pot, 
and a little jar against a table or door 
with the lifting up of the pot, and you 
have the contents in hand. 
Wardian Case. 
and cover the pots lightly in such a manner that they 
will he in perfect darkness, sprinkling them occasion¬ 
ally—perhaps every ten days. 
After six weeks, examine the halls of earth by 
Begonias. —Of all green¬ 
house foliage plants none sur¬ 
pass the Begonias for amateur 
culture. A very little informa¬ 
tion will enable anyone to grow 
magnificent specimens. But 
that little information is quite 
important. The Begonia needs, 
in the first place, very excellent 
drainage, and this should he se¬ 
cured by filling the pots half 
full of bits of rotten wood. Glo to an old log or to the 
hollow of an apple tree and take handfuls of all sizes 
of the decaying wood, and on this place the soil, which 
is itself well charged with leaf-mold or woods-dirt. 
