July  11,  1895. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
29 
Roman  Hyacinths. — These  may  be  grown  at  a  profit,  as  they  in¬ 
variably  do  well  with  but  little  trouble  ;  best  prices  are  made  during 
November  and  December,  averaging  from  9s.  to  los.  per  dozen  bunches, 
twelve  spikes  in  a  bunch.  After  that  time  prices  have  a  downward 
tendency,  owing  to  the  numbers  that  are  sent  to  this  country  from 
France,  causing  a  glut  in  the  market.  These  are  often  sold  at  prices 
barely  sufficient  to  pay  carriage  and  salesman’s  commission.  Home¬ 
grown  flowers  are  of  more  value  than  the  imported  ones  ;  still  at  that 
time  of  the  year  when  they  become  cheap  the  flowers  will  not  make  so 
much  as  the  bulbs  cost  before  they  were  forced. 
These  Hyacinths  are  always  comparatively  high  in  price  compared 
with  other  bulbs,  so  only  a  limited  number  should  be  grown.  Bulbs 
can  usually  be  obtained  in  August  or  early  in  September,  and  should  at 
once  be  placed  in  boxes.  I  prefer  boxes  the  same  size  as  are  used  for 
Lily  of  the  Valley.  Roman  Hyacinths  are  not  particular  as  regards 
soil,  but  a  mixture  two  parts  loam,  one  Mushroom-bed  refuse,  and  a 
little  coarse  sand  suits  them  admirably. 
The  boxes  containing  the  bulbs  should  be  placed  in  the  open  air,  and 
covered  to  the  depth  of  2  inches  with  fine  ashes  or  cocoa-nut  fibre  refuse 
until  the  occupants  are  well  rooted ;  they  can  then  be  brought  into  the 
forcing  house  as  required,  having  previously  removed  the  covering,  a 
little  moss  being  placed  over  the  bulbs.  They  must  not  be  plunged  in 
bottom  heat,  but  stood  on  stages  in  the  light.  They  will  be  ready  for 
market  in  about  a  month  from  the  time  they  are  started  to  grow. 
Fifty-five  to  sixty  degrees  is  a  suitable  temperature  in  which  to  grow 
them,  as  the  spikes  come  much  stronger  than  if  grown  in  a  higher 
temperature.  When  in  full  growth  they  require  abundance  of  water. 
It  is  an  advantage  to  gather  a  few  of  their  own  leaves  with  the  flowers, 
as  they  always  sell  better  than  if  the  flowers  are  sent  to  market  without 
them. 
Tulips. — Single  varieties  of  these  should  be  grown  in  quantity,  as 
the  bulbs  can  be  obtained  cheaply  and  are  very  little  trouble  to  grow. 
If  the  bulbs  are  good  and  not  forced  too  hard  not  one  bulb  out  of  a 
thousand  but  will  bloom  satisfactorily.  They  may  be  grown  in  the  same 
houses  as  the  Roman  Hyacinths,  as  they  will  not  be  in  bloom  till  after 
the  Hyacinths  are  over.  For  early  forcing  I  prefer  the  Due  Van  Thol 
varieties.  The  scarlet  Van  Thol  takes  well  in  the  market,  and  will  be  in 
bloom  from  Christmas  onwards.  The  prices  obtained  for  this  variety 
vary  somewhat.  During  January  and  the  early  part  of  February  this 
year  they  averaged  from  03.  to  12s.  per  dozen  bunches,  twelve  blooms  in 
a  bunch.  Since  then  prices  have  been  much  lower,  69.  per  dozen  being 
nearer  the  mark.  The  best  white  that  I  have  tried  for  this  purpose  is 
La  Neige.  This  forces  well,  but  cannot  be  obtained  in  bloom  so  early  as 
the  Van  Thols.  It  must  not  be  forced  too  hard  when  first  brought  into 
heat,  or  it  will  not  bloom  satisfactorily.  If  allowed  to  come  along  slowly 
it  may  be  obtained  about  a  fortnight  after  the  first  Van  Thols  are  ready. 
The  bulbs  are  dearer,  but  the  flowers  make  much  better  prices  than  the 
coloured  varieties,  and  do  not  vary  much,  the  average  being  from  123.  to 
15b.  per  dozen  bunches. 
The  treatment  of  Tulips  in  their  early  stages  is  similar  to  the  Roman 
Hyacinth.  They  should  be  placed  in  boxes  as  soon  as  obtained  in  the 
autumn  and  be  stood  out  of  doors,  covered  with  2  or  3  inches  of  fine 
ashes.  The  bulbs  must  be  well  rooted  before  being  brought  into  the 
forcing  house,  or  they  will  fail  to  bloom  satisfactorily.  They  should  not 
suffer  by  want  of  water,  and  when  brought  into  the  house  should  be 
placed  on  stages  in  a  good  light  position  and  not  be  plunged  in  bottom 
heat.  A  temperature  of  55°  to  60°  suits  them  well.  Tulips  should  not 
be  allowed  to  fully  open  before  being  gathered,  but  ought  to  be  taken 
when  they  are  well  in  bud,  when  they  will  keep  for  a  long  time  in  good 
condition.  If  space  is  limited  the  boxes  containing  the  bulbs  may  be 
placed  on  the  floor  of  the  house  for  a  few  days,  and  on  the  stages  as  the 
more  forward  ones  are  removed.  They  will  take  from  three  to  five 
weeks  after  being  brought  into  the  forcing  house  before  they  are  ready 
for  market. 
Daffodils. — These  are  always  saleable,  as  there  is  a  great  rage  for 
them  ;  but  the  blooms  must  be  all  cleared  off  before  they  begin  to 
arrive  from  the  Scilly  Islands.  The  only  variety  that  I  have  grown  for 
market  is  the  Old  Double,  the  bulbs  of  this  variety  being  cheap.  A 
good  number  may  be  grown  in  a  small  space.  1  use  similar  boxes  for 
these  as  for  other  bulbs  mentioned,  and  the  treatment  is  the  same.  As 
soon  as  the  bulbs  are  well  rooted  they  may  be  brought  into  a  cool  house, 
but  should  not  be  placed  in  a  higher  temperature  than  50°,  as  if  given 
too  much  heat  in  the  early  stages  the  bulbs  will  produce  leaves  instead 
of  flowers. 
A  plentiful  supply  of  flowers  may  be  obtained  throughout  January, 
when  prices  are  comparatively  high,  ranging  from  93.  to  128.  per  dozen 
bunches.  The  same  treatment  should  be  given  to  the  numerous  other 
varieties  that  are  now  so  extensively  grown,  such  as  Golden  Spur, 
Horsefieldi,  Emperor,  Empress,  Sir  Watkin,  and  others.  The  bulbs  of 
these  are  costly  when  compared  with  the  old  double  variety,  and  at  the 
present  price  would  not  pay  to  grow  for  cut  flowers  ;  but  a  stock 
could  soon  be  obtained  cheaply  if  grown  in  suitable  land,  as  they 
increase  rapidly. 
CAEifATlONS, — These  find  a  ready  market  throughout  the  winter 
months,  and  they  have  the  advantage  of  requiring  little  heat.  I  have 
only  found  two  varieties  that  can  be  depended  on  to  yield  a  good  supply 
of  bloom  throughout  the  winter.  These  are  Miss  Joliffe  Improved,  pale 
pink  ;  and  Winter  Cheer,  scarlet.  La  Neige  is  a  good  white,  but  I  have 
not  found  it  to  flower  so  freely  in  the  winter  as  the  two  former.  Young 
plants  should  always  be  used  for  the  purpose,  propagated  from 
cuttings  early  in  the  spring.  The  small  side  shoots  root  freely  if  placed 
in  a  little  bottom  heat  at  that  time  of  the  year.  The  plants  should  be 
grown  in  frames  or  on  shelves  near  the  glass,  in  a  temperature  of  55® 
until  June,  when  they  will  be  ready  for  their  final  potting  into  32-size 
pots.  After  this  they  may  be  placed  out  of  doors,  plunged  in  ashes, 
and  syringed  twice  daily,  I  prefer  this  sized  pot  in  preference  to  larger, 
as  unless  the  pots  are  well  filled  with  roots  the  plants  will  not  bloom, 
satisfactorily,  but  will  continue  growing  instead  of  flowering. 
The  plants  should  be  placed  in  their  winter  quarters  in  September, 
and  be  grown  throughout  the  winter  in  a  temperature  of  from  40°  to 
45°,  when,  if  the  plants  have  been  well  grown,  they  will  flower  freely 
throughout  the  winter.  The  compost  I  have  found  most  suitable  for 
them  is  loam,  peat,  and  leaf  soil  in  equal  parts,  and  a  little  sharp  sand 
added.  The  average  price  obtained  has  been  2s.  6d.  per  dozen  blooms. 
This  year  I  tried  the  new  clove-scented  tree  Carnation  Uriah  Pike,  but 
it  did  not  bloom  so  satisfactorily  as  the  two  former,  and  is  evidently 
better  suited  for  spring  and  summer. 
Pelargonium  Raspail. — This  semi-double  variety  should  be 
grown  in  quantity,  and  as  it  can  be  cultivated  throughout  the  summer 
with  but  little  trouble,  the  blooms  lasting  for  a  long  time  in  a  cut  state, 
there  is  usually  a  ready  sale  for  them.  But  the  price  has  been  some¬ 
what  lower  during  the  past  two  or  three  years  than  was  formerly  the 
case,  the  average  being  23.  6d.  per  dozen  bunches,  six  to  twelve  trussa^ 
FIG.  4. — ARNEBIA  CORNUTA.  {See  page  36.) 
in  a  bunch  according  to  size.  Cuttings  should  be  rooted  as  early 
in  the  spring  as  possible,  and  placed  in  larger  pots  as  they  require  it, 
the  points  of  the  shoots  and  all  the  blooms  being  pinched  off  occasionally 
to  cause  a  bushy  sturdy  growth. 
During  the  summer  they  may  be  plunged  in  ashes  in  the  open  air, 
being  duly  attended  to  for  water,  and  be  placed  in  their  flowering  pote 
early  in  July.  They  should  be  brought  into  the  houses  before  the  end 
of  September,  and  grown  throughout  the  winter  in  a  temperature  of  60°. 
Treated  in  this  manner  they  will  bloom  profusely  throughout  the 
winter. 
Lilium  Harrisi. — This  is  another  plant  that  well  repays  any 
trouble  that  may  be  taken  with  it.  Procure  the  bulbs  as  early  as  pos¬ 
sible  in  the  autumn,  placing  a  single  bulb  in  a  32-pot,  and  cover  with 
a  little  moss,  or  anything  to  keep  them  dark.  Place  the  pots  out  of 
doors  for  a  few  weeks  or  in  a  cool  house,  and  as  soon  as  they  start  to 
grow  the  covering  may  be  removed,  transferring  to  a  temperature  of  55°, 
In  January,  when  the  days  begin  to  lengthen,  increase  the  temperature 
to  60°,  which  in  a  few  weeks  may  be  raised  to  65°.  They  require  a 
great  amount  of  water  whilst  growing,  and  it  is  an  advantage  to  plaos 
saucers  under  them,  occasionally  filling  them  with  liquid  manure.  The 
aim  should  be  to  have  them  in  flower  as  early  as  possible,  as  they  are 
much  in  request  at  Easter,  and  prices  fall  very  rapidly  after  that  time. 
The  soil  that  I  have  found  most  satisfactory  for  them  is  peat  and  loam 
in  equal  parts,  with  a  little  sharp  sand  added.  Prices  vary  very  much. 
Early  in  the  spring  and  at  Easter  the  blooms  are  worth  frorn  4s,  to  8s. 
per  dozen  blooms.  At  the  present  time  they  are  only  making  2s.  per 
dozen. 
(To  be  concluded.) 
