292 
THE FLORIST’S JOURNAL. 
preserving the earth about the roots entire, and pot them in thirty- 
twos, using the same compost as at first, nearly the same as re¬ 
commended by Mr. Shearer, with the addition of a little good loam ; 
this should be done at least a fortnight before they are placed in 
heat, by which time they will have recovered from the effects of 
the shifting, which, however, will be but very slight if carefully 
done, and the stimulus given by the fresh earth will soon be made 
apparent in the size of the flower stem. 
As the raising of florists’ flow r ers from seed is an operation 
full of interest, especially to amateur growers, it may not be out 
of place to say a few words on the subject. In saving Hyacinth 
seed, that from the best formed flowers should be selected, prefer¬ 
ring the semi-doubles. It should be perfectly ripe before gathered, 
which may be known by the pericarpium splitting, or assuming 
a yellowish cast; then cut it off with the stem attached, and keep it 
in a dry cool place till the time of sowing, which may be either 
the latter end of October, or beginning of March ; it may be 
sown either in deep boxes or on a warm border, though boxes 
are preferable, as being more easily protected in severe weather; 
the soil should be of an open texture ; common garden mould, with 
about a third part sand added, will suit them. The seed should be 
sown moderately thick, and covered with about half an inch of the 
same earth. They require no further attention, except to clear 
them, of weeds, and to protect them from frost, though this 
must be well attended to the second winter, as the little bulbs are 
many of them then very near the surface ; but farther than this 
they require nothing, till the spring of the third year, when a top 
dressing of rotted cow-dung should be given them, and in the 
following July they should be taken up and treated the same as 
large bulbs ; in the course of the two following seasons all the 
strongest roots will flower, when the best may be marked or named. 
Those selected from the seedlings should contain more or less of the 
following properties, which may be taken as the generally received 
criterion of a good Hyacinth. The stem should be not less than 
eight inches in Jieight, strong and erect. The foot-stalk of each 
flower to be short and strong, standing out in a horizontal position, 
so that the flowers, which must be large, may,, when expanded, 
form a compact pyramid ; the crown, or centre flower, must be 
perfectly upright ; they should assume a convex form, the petals 
to be thick, fleshy, and broad, and double flowers should fill well 
