40 
Sort of heat for plants that comes from the 
pipes when very hot. Then there being 
auch a small quantity of water, it is apt to 
boil, if not very closely watched, and throw 
ali ihe waier vut at the supply cistern, 
gealding plants and filling the house with 
steam when it should be dry. Then the 
‘ecld air gots into the empty pipes, and the 
house gets cold and the plants suffer, and 
the whole object of having a heating house 
is frustrated. On the other hand, if you 
Save plenty of piping, it holds more water, 
and boiling can hardly happen if the circu- 
- tation is right. You get a more mellow 
cheat; having more surface throwing it off, 
there is no necessity for having the pipes 
wery hot, and the object is gained. If a 
thing is worth doing it is worth doing well. 
¥entilation is an important matter in the 
“sonstruction and care of plant houses. Well- 
zovted plants require plenty of air, or they 
languish ; oxygen seems to be as necessary 
for them as for animals. On the other 
hand, a plant with its rvots in a bad state 
will not stand in an airy place; it begins to 
flag as soon as it comes in contact with fresh 
-air. In acloser atmosphere it would lock 
allright. We put cuttings under a bell- 
» giass to strike root; if the glass is not re- 
waoved after they have rooted you will find 
thsy die off. The reason is they are suffo- 
wated. The roots as soon as they are formed 
begin to perform their office, which is to 
ake up nutriment from the ground; the 
Reaves then want to breathe, which they 
sannot do if kept too close, and the young 
qpiant dies. It follows then that abundant 
weatilation is not wanted for propagating 
sand nursing houses, whereas for houses. 
Blled with well-rooted plants it is required. 
ii that L would go in for in a propagating- 
Shouse would be a little top ventilation; but 
Hor specimen-houses I would have abun- 
Wance of it, top and bottom, taking care 
that there would not be any cold draughts 
Striking on the plants: anks.—I think it 
A pity that any one should build a stove or 
greenhouse and not put a good water-tank 
anside. Rainwater is generally allowed to 
‘bo the best for plants, and the quality of 
Zhe water has a good deal to do with success 
Gn plant-growing. Besides, I think it desir- 
'abie that there should aot be too much 
=upty space in a greenhouse or stove in this 
«ountzy. In summer you want to be always 
famping the fluor to keep things right, 
whereas if there was a good big tank in the 
house, full of water, it would act better and 
save labor. Tho tank in a stove should 
‘have some of the hot-water pipes passing 
Shrough it to keep the water above the tem- 
erature of the house. I have found this 
%o have a must beneficial effect on the 
waiuosphere of the house, and it supplies . 
tepid water fur any watering required. — 
HYACINTHS. 
The cultivation of these lovely flowers 
as almost universal, for> their exquisite 
aploring and rich fragrance make them 
general favorites; but, on the other hand, 
hey are not always so fine or so well crown. 
as they might be if their needs were better 
sanderstood. The sturdy foliage, above 
avhich the stately spike should stand, and 
She perfection of each individual bloom on. 
he specimen here represented are only 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDINER, 
seen where there has been no check to the 
growth of the plant from its earliest 
stages. : ‘ 
Many amateurs obtain their bulbs too 
late in the season, when they have been 
lying on the shelves of a warehouse for 
many weeks, during which time their vita- 
lity is lowered, and they lose the power of 
starting strongly. All bulbs should be 
planted as soon as they can be procured, 
and those who send a list of the hyacinth 
bulbs required to any good firm early in 
September will be in time for all the yarie- 
ties, the early Roiman hyacinths being the 
first to come to hand. 
These graceful blossoms, in pure white, 
are more like our own wild lyacinths 
(Scilla nutans) in form than those usually 
cultivated in pots. Slight and delicate, the 
Roman hyacinth is equally charming for 
table decoration or for growing in quan- 
tity to provide cut flowers in winter. The 
bulbs are best grown in a well-drained box 
of spent soil, 8 or 10 inehes in depth, plac- 
ing each bulk 4 inches from its neighbors, 
abeut{ half-covered with {soil. After a 
thorough watering, the box should be 
covered with a layer of clean moss (which 
has previously been dipped in boiling 
water to destroy all insect germs), and over 
this fine coal ashes to the depth of 4 inches. 
Ashes should not be allowed to come in 
contact with the bulbs, as they sometimes 
receive injury from nexigus gases left in 
the ashes; but if these have been allowed 
to lie in the open air for a few weeks they 
lost all taint of injurious gas, and may then 
be used without an intervening layer of 
moss. Standing out of doors, in a warm 
sunny corner, the roots of the hyacinths 
will quickly start; and in a month or five 
weeks green shoots will be visible on un-- 
covering the bulbs. They should then be 
removed to the greenhouse, and will bloom 
early with gradual forcing, plenty of tepid 
water being necessary from the time they 
are placed under glass. As soon as the 
white tint of the bells can be seen those 
bulbs which are most forward should be 
raised, when thoroughly moist, and potted, 
placing from three to five bulbs closely 
together. For cutting, this is, of course, 
unnecessary, but many charming arrange- 
ments can be made in bowls of ornamental 
china with these flowers. A group of 
Roman hyacinths, surrounded by scarlet 
Van Thol tulips, and edged with blue 
scillas, is a very pretty arrangement of tho 
national colors. 
Directly after the Roman varieties, the 
beautiful Italian hyacinths open, taller 
and with fuller bells than the earlier 
blooms, in pale lemon, blush pink, and 
blue. . These are rarely seen, yet they are 
most elegant, and should be cultivated in 
the same way. The blush pink variety is, 
perhaps, the most attractive, but all three 
are distinct and charming. 
The double and single hyacinths of the 
larger-flowered class, now in bloom, are 
also potted in September or October, and 
kept, covered with ashes, &c., in a sunny 
position m the open air until they show a 
green shoot above the bulb. But they need 
8 
at least six weeks tc form their roots be- 
January 5; 1905 
fore growth begins, and they will not bear 
so much foreing as the early Howerthg 
hyacinths, gradual increase of warmth, 
with amplo supphes of lukewarm water, 
being necessary to secure early flowers with 
stout foliage . The single varieties are the 
more suitable for pot culture, and also for 
growing in glasses for room decoration. In, 
order to succeed in this plan of cultivation, 
specially firm, solid bulbs, which have not 
been kept too long out of the soil, sheuld 
be selected, and a suitable hyacinth glass 
can be filled nearly to the top with clear 
vain water. Tho bulb should not quite 
touch tha water when placed in position, 
and it may be necessary to add sufficient 
water, keeping the bulb and water a quar- 
ter of an inch apart before the roots begin. 
ta grow. 
Placed in a dark, cool cupboard, or 
buried in a box of clean moss or Jadoo, the 
light must be excluded from both bulb and. 
glass until the roots are at least 3 inches 
long, when the plant may gradually be 
inured to the light, and in a week’s time 
should be placed in a sunny window, as. 
near as possible to the glass. Anything 
like strong forcing will result in weak, 
weedy growth, and must not be attempted ; 
but the sunshine and a temperature of 
about 60 deg. will soon enable the blos- 
soms to open properly. 
In adding water the bulb should not be 
raised or shifted, the water should be luke- 
warm, and. if it become necessary to change 
the whole of it (this only being needed if 
it should become thick and impure) it ig 
not desirable to take the plant completely 
out of the glass. <A; few small bits of char- 
coal in the water tend to keep it pure, 
but in many cases they appear to be un- 
necessary, 
Hyacinth bulbs, after flowering, are 
often, thrown away, but those who have a 
garden should plant them at once (without 
allowing the foliage to droop) on a rock 
border, or as an edging to the herbaceous 
border, for, if well treated, they will produce 
many small spikes for cutting during the 
following spring; and if their flowers are 
cut and the roots richly mulched with old 
hotbed material each year in spring they 
will increase in size until, In three years, 
fine blooms are again produced, which are 
very useful to raise (just as the blossoms. 
are opening), arranging them in fresh moss 
for the room, in groups of several plants, 
with maidenhair fern, thus prolonging the: 
hyacinth season by some weeks? ; 
Fer the balcony, for beds, for filling 
window boxes, and in many decorative ar- 
rangements hyacinths are very effective, 
and, as they can be. transplanted so easily. 
i, id desirable to have a plentiful supply of 
them. 
Prince of Wales is a fine variety, in an 
exquisite shade of pink; Mont Blane is of 
the purest white, with large bells; Lord 
Derby is a magnificent blue flower; Ida, 
one of the best of the yellow varieties; 
L’Innocence, white, has a very fine shape; 
Black Diamond is one of the darkest, and: 
Kohinoor is pale apricot in tint. 
Many others equally good may be select~ 
ed from the catalogues of our leading hor- 
