Cut off the flowers of roses as they fade ; the second crop will be
much better for the attention. Seeds of all flowering plants should
be also taken off; all this assists the duration of the blooming sea-
son. After the walks and lawns, the flower-beds should be a constant
source of attention. If the plants appear to suffer by drought,
there is no better remedy than to place a fork around the plant and
loosen up the soil deeply without disturbing the plant more than can
be avoided. After being thus loosened, it will not dry out near as
much as before. Above all, keep the surface continually broken by
hoeing and breaking fine. Nothing is so sure a preventive of soil-
drying as a loose, porous texture. But much of watering and hoeing
will be saved, if in hot places the flowers have tan or other mulching
substances over the beds among the flowers.
To Grow Hyacinths in Water. — To grov/ hyacinths in glasses
is the most simple thing imaginable, and yet let it be remembered
FLORICULTURE AND HORTICULTURE. 28 1
that the roots of all plants will, by their natural instinct, hide them-
selves from the light, so whenever you purchase hyacinth glasses,
which are very cheap nowadays, select dark colors, blue or red for
instance, and those of the long narrow or Belgian pattern in prefer-
ence to the more elaborate styles. The hyacinth makes long white
roots, and to make them quickly and before it starts into leaf growth,
the bulbs, after being either potted or put in the glasses, must be put
entirely in the dark for about six weeks. Always use rain water.
Fill the glasses so that the water will barely touch the bottom of the
bulb. The water should be changed as often as once in three weeks,
using pure rain water of the same temperature as you took them
out of. A piece of charcoal in the water will cause it too keep sweet
longer. A little ammonia dissolved in the water will give the
flowers much brighter color.
To grow the hyacinth in moss, you need only place in the bottom
of your intended bulb garden a layer of nice clean moss laid in quite
loosely. On this plant your hyacinth or other bulbs — and by the
way the Polyanthus narcissus is a good one for this purpose. Cover
them with moss, and take care to keep it always damp. Holes may
be cut in large sponges, such as coachmen use, and a small nyacinth
bulb stuffed into them. The sponge may be suspended by a string,
and will naturally excite curiosity as the bulbs develop themselves.
Of course the sponge must be kept wet. Remember, the hyacinth
will grow anywhere and in anything where it can have abundant
moisture.
Propagating Plants. — One of the first necessary conditions is
that the plant from which the cutting or slip is taken must be in
vigorous health. If, for example, you wish to root cuttings of green-
house or bedding plants, one of the best guides to the proper con-
dition is when the cutting breaks or snaps clean off, instead of bend-
ing or kneeing. If it snaps off so as to break, it will root freely; if it
bends it is too old, and though it may root it will root much slower
and make a weaker plant. A general idea is current that a cutting
must be cut at or below a joint or eye. The practice of this system
282 THE hearthstone; OR, LIFE AT HOME,
Page 183
Presented as published in 1883. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Cut off the flowers of roses as they fade ; the second crop will be much better for the attention. Seeds of all flowering plants should be also taken off; all this assists the duration of the blooming season. After the walks and lawns, the flower-beds should be a constant source of attention. If the plants appear to suffer by drought, there is no better remedy than to place a fork around the plant and loosen up the soil deeply without disturbing the plant more than can be avoided. After being thus loosened, it will not dry out near as much as before. Above all, keep the surface continually broken by hoeing and breaking fine. Nothing is so sure a preventive of soildrying as a loose, porous texture. But much of watering and hoeing will be saved, if in hot places the flowers have tan or other mulching substances over the beds among the flowers.
To Grow Hyacinths in Water. — To grow hyacinths in glasses is the most simple thing imaginable, and yet let it be remembered
that the roots of all plants will, by their natural instinct, hide themselves from the light, so whenever you purchase hyacinth glasses, which are very cheap nowadays, select dark colors, blue or red for instance, and those of the long narrow or Belgian pattern in preference to the more elaborate styles. The hyacinth makes long white roots, and to make them quickly and before it starts into leaf growth, the bulbs, after being either potted or put in the glasses, must be put entirely in the dark for about six weeks. Always use rain water. Fill the glasses so that the water will barely touch the bottom of the bulb. The water should be changed as often as once in three weeks, using pure rain water of the same temperature as you took them out of. A piece of charcoal in the water will cause it to keep sweet longer. A little ammonia dissolved in the water will give the flowers much brighter color.
To grow the hyacinth in moss, you need only place in the bottom of your intended bulb garden a layer of nice clean moss laid in quite loosely. On this plant your hyacinth or other bulbs — and by the way the Polyanthus narcissus is a good one for this purpose. Cover them with moss, and take care to keep it always damp. Holes may be cut in large sponges, such as coachmen use, and a small hyacinth bulb stuffed into them. The sponge may be suspended by a string, and will naturally excite curiosity as the bulbs develop themselves. Of course the sponge must be kept wet. Remember, the hyacinth will grow anywhere and in anything where it can have abundant moisture.
Propagating Plants. — One of the first necessary conditions is that the plant from which the cutting or slip is taken must be in vigorous health. If, for example, you wish to root cuttings of greenhouse or bedding plants, one of the best guides to the proper condition is when the cutting breaks or snaps clean off, instead of bending or kneeing. If it snaps off so as to break, it will root freely; if it bends it is too old, and though it may root it will root much slower and make a weaker plant. A general idea is current that a cutting must be cut at or below a joint or eye. The practice of this system
282 THE hearthstone; OR, LIFE AT HOME,