1873. J THE TULIP: ITS PROPERTIES AND IMPROVEMENT. 113 



flowers that surpass in real merit the best of the models at that time set up. It 

 was held that the possession of certain properties constituted a good flower, viz. : — 

 1, shape; 2, substance; 3, purity of base; 4, marking; 5, bold seed-pod, and stout 

 stamens with large black anthers. I think that one more property might now be 

 added as a finish for a perfect flower, namely, that the ground-colour, whether white 

 or yellow, should be clear — as near snowy-white as possible in the former case, and 

 of a pure glossy lemon or orange, free from the least shade of red in or outside 

 the petals, in those having yellow grounds. What can be a greater drawback to 

 a stand than a Eoso or a Byblojmen with a muddy creamy-white ground, or a 

 cloudy dull straw-coloured Bizarre, even if the flowers are perfection in all their 

 other properties. It is likely enough that there are those who will say there has 

 been plenty said and written about Tulips before now ; but what little I have to 

 say respecting them, may be somewhat interesting to a few of the less knowing 

 ones, and may serve as a reminder to those who profess to know all that can be 

 known, so far as the growth and properties of the Tulip are concerned. 



There is one other matter I will just mention, viz., the division of the 

 Bizarre class, though it is not exactly a new or fresh pi'oject of my own, for 

 it was mooted by certain other growers some few years since. It was, however, 

 at that time objected to, the principal objection being that there was not then a 

 sufEcient quantity of sorts to admit of such a division being advantageously 

 made. Now, however, I think that objection and difiSculty has been over- 

 come, for within the last few years we have got some good additions, both 

 among what are termed Bed and Dark Bizarres, more particularly among the 

 Eed ones, which, in my opinion, quite equal, and in some instances surpass, the 

 Dark ones in real merit. Such being the case, and as we can now count upon 

 almost any quantity of Eed Bizarres as well as Dark Bizarres, I cannot see why 

 we should not divide them, and have two classes amongst the yellow-ground 

 flowers, as well as amongst those with white grounds. There is as much differ- 

 ence between a bright Eed feathered or flamed Bizarre and the Dark ones, as 

 between the Eose and Byblcemen classes. Some may object that there would be 

 a difficulty in distinguishing correctly the Beds from the Darks, since many sorts, 

 properly speaking, are neither Darks nor Eeds, but Browns or go-betweens ; but 

 then the same might be said of the Byblcemen and Eose classes, for we have 

 plenty of sorts, and fine sorts, too, which we may also term go-betweens, — neither 

 Eoses nor Byblcemens, strictly speaking. Therefore, I think the argument in 

 favour of the one is as good and as plausible as that in favour of the other. 



I had thought about giving my individual opinion upon what I consider 

 ought to bo regarded as the real points of merit and demerit in judging the 

 Tulip, and what should be the properties constituting a first-class show flower. 

 Certainly we have had a code of these properties laid down, which was good 

 enough at the time it was propounded ; but as time rolls on we see changes, and 

 we either see or fancy we see room for improvement in our floral hobbies, as well 

 as in many other things. Therefore, all being well, I will on another occasion 



