TUE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 265 



informed, -were obtained from such species as Tulipa nutans, and 

 T. suaveolens; the latter from the gaudy Tulipa Gesneriana. 

 Respecting the late-flowering or show kinds, something shall be said 

 later. 



Messrs. Veitch and Sons, of Chelsea, are in the habit of plant- 

 ing out each winter a number of beds of the early-blooming tulips, 

 to test their adaptability for bedding purposes. Set down in the 

 midst of their nursery, the beds make a charming and effective 

 display ; and visitors to the nursery have found them to be one of its 

 not least interesting features. I thought it well, in looking through 

 them, to grasp them in their several shades of colour, and by this 

 means endeavour to show the best and most distinct in each section. 



Taking the white flowers, the two best are undoubtedly Princess 

 Helena, and the well-known White PottehaJcker. The former i3 an 

 excellent variety for bedding, the flowers pure white, the habit 

 dwarf and erect. It deserves to be highly recommended, and is not 

 very expensive. The useful old White Pottebakker, which comes a 

 little later in bloom, yet holds its own as a good, cheap, serviceable 

 white variety, and will do so for years to come. It has a stiff rigid 

 habit ; the flowers large, and of good form. Gomte de Mirabeau 

 may be classed with the whites, though it gets somewhat tinted with 

 pale lively pink when the flowers have been out some time ; it is not 

 so large, nor is it of such a good build, as White Pottebakker, but is 

 useful as a variety and comes into bloom with La Belle Alliance, a 

 capital brilliant scarlet-crimson flower. Comte de Mirabeau appears 

 to be identical with La Heine, or Queen Victoria. 



The earliest of all the yellow tulips is Chrysolora, of a capital hue 

 of pure yellow. This should be noted as a very useful early-flower- 

 ing variety for bedding purposes. Prince de Ligne, a variety that 

 has been highly spoken of, is inferior to Chrysolora, both in colour 

 and build, and has pointed petals. Yellow Prince is an excellent 

 bedder ; it has fine large showy flowers, and a nice upright rigid 

 habit, and can be bracketed with Chrysolora as the two most useful 

 of the single kinds. Yellow Pottebaklier is a fine bold showy tulip, 

 but apt to come striped with red : under which form it is known as 

 the Med-striped Pottebalihcr. 



The earliest scarlet tulip is Brutus ; it is vivid in colour, and has 

 a very slight yellow feather on the edges, and being dwarf in habit 

 and not high in price, it is very useful for massing. Scarlet Van 

 Thol is an inestimable bedding tulip, early, dwarf, and fine in colour, 

 and very cheap ; a bed of this is a floral picture of no common 

 order. It may be stated that it comes into flower about two days 

 earlier than La Belle Alliance ; the latter is a grandly effective tulip, 

 and in the gleaming sunshine the hue is very rich and bright. 

 Vermilion Brilliant is also a flue showy tulip, of a rich vermilion- 

 crimson hue, and comes into bloom about the same time as Scarlet 

 Van Thol, and is larger than this well-known variety. Gouleur 

 Cardinal is a splendid bedding tulip, having a most unusual dwarf, 

 rigid habit ; the flowers are of a rich dark red, with a vivid crimson 

 feather on the edges ; it is a little late in blooming, but it serves 

 the important purpose of giving a succession of bloom. Couronne 



