October  13,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
279 
BULBS  AND  THEIR  CULTURE. 
(i Continued  from  page  270.) 
SUCCESSIONAL  FLOWERING. 
A  long  succession  of  bulbous  flowers  may  be  obtained  by  potting 
the  whole  stock  at  the  same  time.  This  could  be  accomplished  by 
forcing  some,  retarding  others,  and  by  making  a  judicious  selection  of 
suitable  species  and  varieties.  For  instance,  in  the  case  of  Hyacinths 
our  earlier  flowers  would  be  produced  by  forced  Romans ;  these  to  be 
followed  by  a  selection  of  single  Hyacinths,  which  force  well  and  may 
be  had  in  flower  soon  alter  Christmas.  Good  varieties  for  the  purpose 
are  Baron  Van  Thuyl,  pink;  Baroness  Yan  Thuyl,  white;  Gigantea, 
rose ;  Norma,  a  fine  pink  (one  of  the  best) ;  Blanchard,  white ; 
Grandeur  a  Merveille,  blush  white ;  Charles  Dickens,  dark  blue,  and 
Czar  Peter,  light  blue. 
When  grown  expressly  for  supplying  cut  flowers  the  bulbs  should 
be  packed  closely  together  in  boxes,  but  if  required  for  use  as  pot 
plants  three  bulbs  placed  in  a  32-sized  pot,  or  one  in  a  54,  is  an 
excellent  way  of  disposing  them.  Bulbs  of  this  type  for  forciug  can 
be  bought  rather  cheaply,  and  by  the  time  they  are  over  the  choicest 
named  varieties  will  be  coming  in. 
The  vaiieties  of  Hyacinths  are  so  numerous  that  I  can  only  deal 
briefly  with  them  in  the  form  of  enumerating  a  few  of  the  “gems” 
in  each  section.  Those  who  take  a  special  interest  in  them  should 
critically  examine  the  fine  collection  staged  at  shows,  note  those  which 
take  their  fancy,  and  order  for  the  following  year.  Among  single  reds 
the  following  will  be  found  to  be  extra  good  : — Amy,  bright  carmine ; 
Ball  of  Fire,  Cavaignac,  Dr.  Coindet,  Fireball,  fine  red,  very  dwarf ; 
Howard,  Koh-i-Noor,  rose  (semi-double);  Meteor,  Mrs.  Beecher 
Stowe,  rich  rose ;  Prince  of  Wales,  Princess  Anna,  and  Robert  Steiger. 
Single  rose  :  Cardinal  Wiseman,  Emmeline,  Etna,  Fabiola,  Princess 
Victoria,  Rose  a  Merveille,  and  Tubiflora.  Single  White:  Alba 
Maxima,  British  Queen,  La  Candeur,  La  Grandesse,  Madame  Yan 
der  Hoop,  Mont  Blanc,  La  Franchise,  and  White  Bird.  Dark  blue  : 
Grave  of  Napoleon,  Blackbird,  Masterpiece,  Charles  Dickens,  King  of 
the  Blues,  Graaf  Van  Nassau,  and  Nimrod.  Light  blue:  Blondin, 
Canning,  John  Bright,  Gladstone,  and  Lord  Beaconsfield.  Single 
yellow:  Alida  Jacoba.  Bright  yellow  :  Bird  of  Paradise,  Gold  Sceptre, 
Ida,  King  of  Fellows,  and  Obelisk. 
Double  Hyacinths  are  not  quite  so  numerous  as  the  single 
varieties,  but  the  number  is  each  year  being  augmented,  and  some  of 
the  older  forms  require  weeding  out.  The  following  include  some  of 
the  best  new  and  old  varieties : — Red  :  Belle  Alliance,  Bouquet 
Constante,  Crown  of  Flora,  Disraeli,  Marie  de  Medicis,  and  Venus  de 
Medici.  Rose :  Baron  Rothschild,  Betsy,  Lord  Wellington,  and  Sir 
Walter  Scott.  White  :  Florence  Nightingale,  Bouquet  Royal, 
Prince  of  Waterloo,  Lord  Castlereagh,  Non  Plus  LRtra,  and  Venus. 
Dark  blue:  Garrick,  King  of  the  Netherlands,  Van  Spey k,  Laurens 
Ivoster,  and  Louis  Philippe.  Light  blue :  Delicata,  Rembrandt, 
Globe  Terrestre,  and  Madam  Marmont.  Double  yellow  :  Goethe,  Piet 
Hein,  Pure  d’Or,  Sovereign,  and  Sunflower.  The  two  last  named  are 
the  best  yellows  in  commerce. 
I  must  now  retrace  my  steps  and  deal  with  the  main  subject  of 
these  notes.  When  one  follows  a  train  of  thought  it  is  sometimes 
difficult  to  know  where  it  will  lead  to.  I  begun  this  artiele  with  the 
intention  of  dealing  with  the  various  methods  to  pursue  in  order  to 
secure  a  continuous  succession  of  flowering  bulbs  from  November  till 
June,  and  lo  !  before  I  had  proceeded  far  along  the  “main  road,” 
which  is  to  lead  me  to  the  goal  of  my  subject,  I  wandered  into  one 
of  the  many  side  paths,  and  have  inflicted  upon  Journal  readers  a 
long  list  of  names,  which  must,  I  fear,  prove  rather  “dry  ”  reading; 
but  to  those  in  need  of  help  in  regard  to  the  selection  of  varieties,  the 
“dry  ”  matter  will,  like  many  apparently  prosaic  things  in  life,  prove 
reliable  and  useful. 
I  stated  in  my  opening  paragraph  that  a  good  succession  may  be 
obtained  by  potting  all  bulbs  at  the  same  time ;  that,  however,  is 
seldom  the  best  plan  to  pursue,  as  so  much  depends  upon  the  weather 
experienced  during  the  following  winter.  Should  it  prove  open  growths 
are  formed  quickly,  and  reach  that  stage  when  it  is  necessary  to 
remove  them  from  the  plunging  material ;  then,  no  matter  how  we 
manage  them,  a  large  percentage  will  come  into  flower  simultaneously, 
instead  of  from  a  continuous  succession. 
Late  Tulips  and  Narcissi  are  quite  as  useful  as  early  ones  for  pot 
work,  for  although  by  the  time  they  flower  there  are  plenty  of  early 
ones  flowering  in  the  open  air,  there  is  just  at  that  time  a  dearth  of 
showy  flowering  plants  in  pots.  I  have  repeatedly  proved  how 
acceptable  well-flowered  pots  of  Tulips  are  in  June,  and  I  know  of 
nothing  more  useful  for  decorative  work  at  that  season.  These  matters 
must,  I  think,  force  upon  us  the  conviction  that  the  simplest  and  best 
way  to  secure  a  succession  of  flower  is  to  pot  up  the  required  number 
of  bulbs  at  intervals  of  one  or  two  weeks.  I  usually  pot  my  last  lot 
of  Tulips  about  Christmas,  these  being  the  late  varieties.  If  the 
potting  is  delayed  after  that  time  the  bulbs  are  considerably  weakened, 
as,  unless  stored  in  a  very  cool  place,  they  start  into  growth,  and 
whenever  top  precedes  root  growth  the  best  results  cannot  follow. 
All  bulbs  intended  for  late  flowering  should,  after  potting,  be 
plunged  in  a  cool  position,  such  as  on  the  north  side  of  a  wall,  where 
the  sun  does  not  reach  them.  With  a  little  management  of  the 
description  above  indicated  it  is  surprising  how  long  and  regular  a 
succession  of  gorgeous  flowers  may  be  obtained,  flowers  which,  by 
reason  of  their  lustre  and  freshness,  brighten  the  homes  and  uplift  the 
spirits  of  rich  and  poor  alike. — H.  D. 
(To  be  continued.) 
FLORAL  DECORATIONS. 
How  frequently  we  hear  the  assertion  that  tastes  differ;  or,  it  is 
only  a  matter  of  taste  !  If  we  were  to  ask  the  utterers  of  such  phrases 
to  give  a  definition  of  what  they  considered  the  rules  or  basis  of  taste 
we  should  probably  get,  instead  of  a  why  and  wherefore,  a  description 
of  something  they  had  seen,  without  the  discernment  between  good 
and  bad.  We  occasionally  find  those  who  believe  themselves  possessed 
with  an  hereditary  taste,  independent  of  all  rules  and  traditions,  and 
who  will  tell  you  that  floral  decorations,  if  done  according  to  artistic 
rules  or  aesthetic  laws,  would  become  monotonous.  But  then  they 
ignore  the  infinitude  of  conception  arising  from  the  power  to  observe, 
to  feel,  and  to  realise  the  sublime,  beautiful,  and  picturesque  in  Nature 
and  in  art. 
Simplicity  and  distinctness  are  unquestionably  the  two  greatest 
principles  to  be  borne  in  mind  in  all  artistic  floral  or  foliage  arrange¬ 
ments.  The  elaborate  dinner  table  decoration  which  a  few  years 
ago  was  so  prevalent,  is  in  most  homes  of  taste  a  thing  of  the  past, 
and  what  is  done  in  the  most  tasteful  style  is  characterised  by 
simplicity.  Rather  than  lay  down  any  arbitrary  rules  I  will  give  a 
description  of  a  table  on  three  successive  nights  at  a  great  house  In  the 
county  of  Lincoln. 
It  was  in  the  month  of  January,  and  'hs  table  was  laid  for  over 
twenty.  On  the  first  night  the  centre  was  a  silver  epergne  of  two 
tiers  with  a  cornucopia  of  glass,  filled,  in  the  two  lower  tiers,  with 
Persian  Lilac  and  Lily  of  the  Valley,  wi  ’t  a  frond  or  two  of 
Adiantum  gracillimum ;  whilst  from  the  coi^  ^opia  long  slender  twigs 
of  Lilac  depended.  Four  branches  from  the  epergne  held  each  a 
small  Pandanus  Veitchi  with  Panicum  trailing  down.  Between  the 
epergne  and  candelabrum,  on  each  side,  were  two  fine  Cocos 
Weddeliana  in  silver  vases,  and  beyond  the  candelabrum  in  the  centre 
of  the  table  two  silver  wine  coolers,  filled  with  Lily  of  the  Y alley 
en  masse.  Around  the  outer  margin  of  the  dessert  dishes  were 
slender  glasses,  some  holding  Lily  of  the  V  alley  and  others  Persian 
Lilac. 
Now  the  lesson  to  be  learnt  from  this  table  was  simplicity  and 
lightness,  with  chasteness  and  elegance.  No  foreign  foliage  was  used 
excepting  the  few  fronds  of  Adiantum  in  the  epergne,  and  the  other 
foliage  used  was  only  that  which  was  cut  with  the  flowers  as 
inseparable.  It  is,  I  think,  also  necessary  to  observe  the  flowers  most 
suitable  for  epergnes  or  tall  centrepieces  on  a  dinner  table  are  those  of 
a  fragile,  delicate,  and  of  a  naturally  pendant  habit,  in  which  category 
might  be  placed  Odontoglossums,  Oncidiums,  Calanthe  \  eitchi, 
O.  vestita  oculata,  C.  vestita  lutea,  Ccelogyne  cristata,  Miltonias, 
Epacris,  Staphylea  colchica,  Clerodendron  Bnltourianum,  Pentas  carnea, 
P.  kermesina,  Plumbago  rosea,  P.  capensis,  and  Thrysacanthus 
rutilans. 
On  the  second  night  an  antique  silver  bowl  formed  the  centre¬ 
piece,  and  it  held  nine  dwarf  Poinsettia  plants  with  glowing  bracts  ; 
on  each  side  of  it  in  the  centre  of  the  table  two  plants  of  Begonia 
fuchsioides  about  18  inches  high,  covered  with  dropping  coral 
flowers,  were  placed  in  silver  vases ;  then  beyond  the  candelabrum,  in 
the  silver  wine  coolers,  were  Roman  Hyacinths.  The  outer  margin  ot 
the  table  had  sleuder  glasses  filled,  some  with  Roman  Hyacinths  and 
others  with  sprays  of  Euphorbia  jacquiniaeflora.  Between  the  dessert 
dishes  and  the  flower  glasses  large  bracts  of  I’oinsettias  were  laid. 
singly  and  wide  apart.  , 
The  lesson  from  this  table,  in  addition  to  the  last  mentioned,  is 
brilliance,  which  I  hold  to  be  a  leading  attribute  of  a  successful  dinnei 
table  arrangement.  The  Poinsettias,  Euphorbias,  and  Begonias  give 
this  quality,  and  the  colour  combination  is  a  perfect  harmony  of  red, 
green, "and  white.  Then  another  quality  I  would  emphasise  is  the  use 
of  brilliant  but  short-lived  flowers— in  other  words,  flowers  of  a  day. 
They  are  too  little  used  and  too  little  grown,  because  of  their  fleeting 
beauty.  Amongst  such  might  be  included  Hibiscus  sinensis  and 
varieties,  with  red,  yellow,  flesh  coloured,  and  charmingly  striped 
flowers;  Allamandas,  Dipladcnias,  Tecomas,  Tigridias,  China  Roses, 
Oleander,  and  Phyllocactus. 
Coming  to  table  tracery,  it  should  be  of  the  lightest  description, 
and  where  possible  sprays  of  flowers  and  foliage  intact,  each  laid  on 
the  cloth  quite  separated  from  its  neighbour,  looking  as  if  some  skilful 
hand  and  artistic  mind  had  worked  it  on  the  cloth.  Avoid,  above  all 
