SEPTEMBER 



IRISH GARDENING. 



133 



blue base, margined yellow. Growth about 6 inches. 

 Grt'igi hails from Turkestan ; height 6 inches ; colour 

 orange-scarlet, dark base margined yellow. Kolpakoivs- 

 kyana is a native of Turkestan and Central Asia; 12 

 inches high ; petals bright yellow inside, outside bright 

 red. Oculiis sulis, sun's eye tulip, has for its home 

 Southern Europe ; flower bright crimson, purplish-black 

 base ; height 12 to 14 inches. Persica, a beautiful dwarf 

 \-ellow species, about 6 inches high ; it is found growing 

 wild in Persia, the country from which it derives its 

 name. Praecox^ large sun's eye, resembles Oculus soils. 

 P^lowers larger, and have a ycllowisli liiiLce on tlic out- 

 side. It is a native 

 o{ South France. 

 Praestans, a lovely 

 species from Bok- 

 hara; colour 

 orange-scarlet ; pro- 

 ducing sometimes 

 from three to four 

 tiowers on each 

 stem. Sylveslils, 

 wood tulip, is found 

 wild in most parts 

 of Europe and Brit- 

 ain. It grows from 

 12 to 16 inches 

 high; j'ellow i n 

 colour, and sweet- 

 scented. Turcica^ 

 parrot tulip, easily 

 known by its 

 irregular wavy 

 petals, which range 

 in colour from deep 

 crimson to clear ycl- 

 1 o w , occasionally 

 flushed orange and 

 green. The species 

 derives its popular 

 name from its cl>I- 

 o u r s and tints, 

 closely resembling 

 those of the South 

 American parrots. 

 It is a native o f 

 Thrace and Turkey. 

 In relation to soil, 

 the tulip likes a 

 light, rich, sandy 



loam, but will do well in anj' kind of heavier soil, 

 provided it is well drained, and a handful ot sand put 

 around the bulb when planting to make it feel at home 

 and prevent its rotting from an excess of moisture. 

 October is the best month to plant the bulbs. The 

 proper depth to plant them depends on their size, usually 

 from 3 to 5 inches, and the same distance apart. As 

 regards food, they like a plentiful supply of well- 

 decayed farmyard manure, which should be dug into 

 the ground before planting or used as a top-dress- 

 ing afterwards, but should never be allowed to touch 

 the bulbs as it tends to rot them. Tulips are well 

 adapted for pot culture. The pots should be well 

 drained, and the soil used given a mixture of rich 



Dauwin Ti lif, 



Professor F 



Mucli Reduced.) 



loam, leaf-mould and clean sand. Three bulbs can be 

 grow-n nicely in a five-inch pot, the top of the bulbs 

 just appearing above the surface of the soil when 

 potted. If intended for forcing they should be plunged 

 about six weeks in cocoanut fibre, refuse or coal-ashes, 

 in order that the}- may get well-rooted, which is essential 

 to success, after which they should be brought into the 

 house and kept as near the glass as possible, giving 

 plenty of air and watering freely until they come 

 in flower. Tulips can also be grown in water, like 

 hyacinths A typical bulb of the genus might be 

 tlcscrihcd as i oiisisting of a small uneven base, on 

 which are arranged 

 alternate rings of 

 dull, white matter 

 surrounding the em- 

 b r y o infloresence 

 and foliage, the 

 whole covered with 

 a tunic of a dark- 

 brown colour. Un- 

 derneath this tunic 

 i n s o[m e species 

 there is a thick 

 woolly substance 

 covering the bulb, 

 presumably for pro- 

 tecting them from 

 the rigorous winters 

 of their native 

 homes. The rings 

 of dull, white matter 

 are full oi micro- 

 scopic cells which 

 are filled with plant 

 food in the form of 

 starch and mineral 

 matter. This re- 

 serve food is called 

 upon during the 

 flowering period, 

 and without its help 

 the tulip's efforts to 

 flower successfully 

 would be a failure. 

 .After planting, the 

 grower should keep 

 the soil clean and 

 cultivated, and keep 

 a strict look out for 

 slugs and rats. The slugs eat the young shoots, and 

 the rats steal the bulbs. Slacked lime for the slugs 

 and poison for the rats are good remedies in both cases. 

 The tulip likes plenty of air and sun. but the flowers 

 will last much longer if planted in a position where 

 they are partially shaded at mid-day. The blooms 

 should be cut in early morning when closed, as they 

 then can be handled freely without fear of breaking 

 their petals ; also if intended to send to a distance they 

 pack into much smaller space closed than when open. .\ 

 typical flower consists of six perianth segments arranged 

 alternately and springing from the stalk underneath the 

 ovary. The ovary or seed-pod occupies the centre of 

 the flower, and is situated directly on top of the flower 



;ancis Darwi.s. 



