58 CURSORY REMARKS ON THE TULIP. 



whether they possessed all the desired properties, and so buy with 

 certainty. Thus, Bien fait incomparable keeps its place in the 

 catalogues, possesses a good cup and fine feathering, but on account 

 of its stained bottom will never be a prize flower here. Constant is 

 a beautiful flamed byblomen, with a good cup, and a bottom as pure 

 as satin the moment it expands, and may always be relied on. 

 Comple cle Vergennes has long been a favourite here, although its 

 tendency to throw the top of its petals outwards, and thus spoil the 

 form of the cup, is a great fault. This must be obviated by a broad 

 circle of paper, like a ring or cylinder, put round the petals after 

 being once expanded, till near the time of exhibition, and the purity 

 of its bottom and beautiful feathering generally obtain it a place. 

 Duchess of Clarence possesses a good cup, pure bottom, and beautiful 

 flame, and is a general favourite. I merely mention these by way of 

 example. Now, putting down s. b. for stained bottom, p. b. for pure 

 bottom, g. c. for good cup, r. f. for rose feathered, r. fl. for rose- 

 flamed, v. f. for violet feathered, v. fl. for violet flamed, &c, a cata- 

 logue may be ranged thus, in double columns : — 



Bieu fait, s.b., g. o, V.f. 

 Constant, p. b., g. c, v. fl. 

 Violet Alexander, p. b., g. c, v. fl. 

 Grand prior, p. b., g. c, v. fl. 

 Demetrius, biz., p. b., g. c, choc.fl. 

 Trafalgar, biz., s. b., g. c, choc. fl. 



&e. &c. 



Couipte de Vergennes, p. b., g. c, r. f. 

 Duchess of Clarence, p. b., g. c, r. fl. 

 Triumph royale, p. b., g. c, r. fl. 

 Rose heroine, p. b., g. c, r. f. 

 Mary Stuart, p. b., g. c, r. fl. 

 Lawrence's Bolivar, biz., p. b., g. c-, 

 choc. fl. 



&c. &c. 



A catalogue may thus be extended at pleasure, sufficient to prevent 

 the young and inexperienced cultivator from purchasing varieties 

 which will turn out unworthy of his cultivation, and lead to nothing 

 but chagrin and disappointment, after eight months' anxious atten- 

 tion and anticipation. And as the advantages of such descriptive 

 catalogues as I am now recommending must be sufficiently obvious, 

 not only to yourself, Mr. Editor, but also to your readers, I trust 

 that you will have no objection to spare sufficient space in one of 

 your summer numbers to contain all the catalogues that may be 

 offered you in one place. A catalogue of eighty varieties, ranged in 

 double columns and described as above, need not occupy more than 

 a single page, so that if we could obtain a catalogue of about fifty or 

 sixty of the best varieties cultivated in ten or fifteen of the most re- 

 spectable competing societies in England, they would not, in the 



