516. The properties of a fine hyacinth are the follow ing the stalk tall, strong and upright ; the blossoms nu merous, large, well filled with petals, so as to appear ra ther convex, suspended in a horizontal direction ; the whole flower having a compact pyramidal form, with the upper most blossom quite erect ; the plain colour should be clear and bright, and strong colours are preferable to pale; when the colours are mixed, they should blend with ele gance.
The hyacinth grows best in a light sandy, but fresh earth. If manure of any sort be given, it must be placed far be low the bulb. The time for planting is from the middle to the end of September. Old tanners'-bark is kept spread over the beds during winter, unless when mild weather seems to set in for some days. When the plants come in to flower, a slight awning, which can easily be removed, is placed over them; and by this means they continue a month in glory. Hyacinths in beds never require any wa tering. When the flowering is over, the Dutch move their hyacinths with the spade, so as to break the root fibres, and prevent farther nourishment, but do not raise them completely from the ground for, a fortnight. Even then they are laid in a bed nearly in a horizontal position, with their leaves and stems lying outwards ; in this way, a great part of the juice in their thick succulent leaves and stems evaporates, instead of returning into the bulbs. This is call ed " ripening the roots." When choice hyacinths are cul tivated in pots, as is commonly the case in this country, the pots are laid on their sides, after the flowering, till the leaves decay. Bulbs four or five years old flower most strongly in Britain, and they then gradually fall off; but in Holland they endure a great number of years. It is re marked, that they succeed best in situations near the sea. It is curious that bulbs imported from Holland flower more beautiful in this country the first year, than they ever do afterwards.
Polyanthus-Narcissus.
517. The Polyanthus-narcissus (.A'arcissus tazetta) is a native of Spain and other parts of the south of Europe. The flowers are very ornamental, and come early. The plant has long been a favourite with the florists of Holland and Flanders. There arc several principal varieties : SOme have yellow petals, with cups or nectaries either orange or sulphur coloured,—others have white petals, with orange, yellow or sulphur coloured nectaries ; in a third set, both the petals and the nectaries are white ; and there are double flowers of all the varieties. The subor
dinate varieties are more than a hundred in number. A double variety, called the Cyprus Narcissus, is curious and beautiful ; the outer petals are white ; those in the mid dle partly white and partly orange ; and it has a very agreeable scent. A pure white variety is called the Paper Narcissus.
The florists of this country generally depend on the sup ply of bulbs imported from Holland. The seed, however, often ripens in good seasons here, and there is no peculiar difficulty in raising the plants' in this way: The seed is sown in shallow vessels in the manner of tulip seed. The seedling bulbs are not raised or transplanted till the third year ; in other two years the flowers make their appear ance. The beds containing young bulbs require to be de fended from severe frost by means of a covering of peas haulm, straw, or fern.
Full grown bulbs are planted in the beginning of Sep tember. They do not require to be raised every year ; it is better indeed not to remove them oftener than once in three years. They flower in April and May ; and if they be choice kinds, they should be saved from sun and rain by an awning, as practised in the case of tulips.
Crocus.
518. The crocus, though a well known flower, has only of late years been accurately studied as a genus. Miller admits only two species, the autumnal or saffron (C. 47 cinalis), and the spring crocus, (C. vernus). Sir .L E. Smith mentions three species as natives of Britain, C. ver nus, nudiflorus, and sativus. Of the former there are se veral varieties, blue and purple, yellow and white, and striped ; and besides these, the following species are cul tivated in crocus beds : C. versicolor, or party-colour cro cus, a kind which requires a light loam, while most of the others grow best in sand ; hiflorus, or yellow bottomed ; mxsianus, or common yellow ; susianus, or cloth of gold ; and aureus, or true gold. The Scots crocus is a beautiful striped variety.