Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1856-03-21
The FIotDef eaf0ep.
From the Ohio Farmer.
THE HYACINTH.

Hyaeinthus Orientalis.-This is one Of
most magnificent ornaments of the parterre
combining within itself graceful form, fra
grant smell and varied color 1t is said to
be native Of the Levant, and to grow plen-
tifully around Alcppo and Bagdad; but ii
has been brought to the greatest perfection
in Holland, that country being better adapt
ed to the growth of bulbous rooted plants,
than any one of more elevated soil can be.
The finest varieties of this flower have most
ly originated there. The HARLEM garden
ers, even at the present time, continue to
supply the rest of the world with immense
quantities of these bulbs. At one time the
rage for this flower was so great, that it was
no unusual thing TO pay from five hundred,
to one thousand, dollars, for a single bulb,
of new variety, but now they can be OBJ
tained at very reasonable prices, In regard
to the proprieties of the HyGcinth, we can
not do better than give an extract from the
London Horticultural Magazine Each pip
or flower, should be round, and not ragged ;
the petals should be broad, thick, and blunt
at the ends, not pointed, and reflex enough
to throw up the centre well; the footstalk
should be strong, and hold the flower out
stiff, in verticle position, facing the spec
tator, and by no means weak, to allow the
pip to hang with the face sloping toward the
ground. The footstalk should be also of
length, to make the pips touch each other,
and no more. The pips should be large, for
unless the pips be large, they cannot touch
each other witout very short footstalks, and
the flowers would be so close to the stem,
that the truss itself would be no size
Double flowers should have the rows of pc
tails above each other very regularly imbrica-
ted, so as to throw up the centre. The out
-er petals, therefore, Of double flower need
not reflex, and should not reflex as much as
a single one, because the centre is raised by
the second and third rows of petals.
The spike should be bold, round, compact
and pyramidal, with number of flowers at
the bottom, gradually diminishing to a sin
gle flower at the top. The flower stem
should be very strong, and upright, and mo-
part of it should be seen from the lowest
flowers to the top, in coasequnce Of the close
ness of the pips to each other.
The colors should be bright, clear and
dense, whatever the shade; and any better
approach to scarlet blue, or yellow, than
those shades we now possess, would be high
ly esteemed; flowers with dark eyes, very
clear outside, and those with striped petals,
would be held to be better than sells in gen
eral, but would give no point against form.
The Hyacilh requires great care, or in
two or three years it will have completely
degenerate. The soil best suited FORTS Gull
tivation, is sandy alluyium, very highly
manured with well rotted cow-dung, and 4
rich vegetable mold; have It dug two Sect
deep. Ifplanted in a bed, they ought to
be placed SIX inches apart every way, and
six inches deep in the soil. When in the
summer months the leaves are entirely de-
cayed, dig up the bulbs dry them and put
them away in a dry place to be re-planted
in October, at which time seperate the off
sets, and plant apart, as it viii be several
years before they VIII bloom handsomely.
A covering Of cloth IS put over the bedsl
when in full flower by European florists
to keep the suns rays from injuring the
flowers, and this has the eject 70 keep the
plants in their greatest beauty, for longer
period than if exposed. This covering also
protects them from heayx,rains, or SHOWS,
that are apt to beat dQlS injure them
They are also grove as, as an or
nament to the parlor, - AlfHwiugroom in
the winter When good bulbs are selected
they flower very fine. When the water is
changed, it should be made slightly warm,
as cold water is apt to give the plant check
ia It's growth. The bulbs are, however,
nearly ruined, by being grown in water, and
cannot be used the following season. The
best method to be adopted IS, Immediately
after they are done fiowering, to set them out
carefully in the open ground, and in two
years, they may have recovered enough to
again be used as before
Good bulbs can be obtained in the fall
from all our seedsmen, and are imported di-
rectly from Holland, at very low prices
They flower in April, and May.