176 DESClUPflVE CATALOGUE OF ONE HUNDRED TULIPS. 



to complain of. It, no doubt, arises from the greater quantity of 

 hoar frost which falls in valleys than in elevated situations ; and the 

 influence of the beams of the morning sun on the petals of a Tulip 

 so frozen soon becomes obvious. The edges of the petals appear 

 scalded and crumpled, and the blooms never expand with freedom 

 and regularity. In such unpropitious seasons middling varieties 

 sometimes take the places which the finest flowers alone would other- 

 wise have occupied- 



I am afraid, Mr. Editor, that I have been induced to make re- 

 marks which you may perhaps consider as a trespass upon your 

 pages ; but as there is " a time to mourn and a time to dance," so 

 there is also a season for criticising the Tulip, and another for ad- 

 miring the splendour of the Carnation and the stately magnificence 

 of the Dahlia. I will not, however, enter into any controversial re- 

 marks on the chief point at issue between the critics in the South 

 and those in the North regarding this flower, as respects the necessity 

 of regular markings ; for one would suppose that no unprejudiced 

 person, in the full possession of his mental faculties, would consider 

 any flower to be anything better than second-rate without it was 

 really perfect in every respect. I may, however, be allowed to ex- 

 press a hope that we shall hear nothing more about the ignorance of 

 the North country amateurs respecting the true properties of this 

 beautiful flower. 



In offering the following catalogue for the inspection of the 

 amateur readers of the Cabinet, I beg it to be understood that I have 

 no selfish purpose to serve. Being only a private amateur and uncon- 

 nected with the trade, my sole object is to endeavour to assist the 

 purchaser in the selection of his kinds ; and if I should be the means 

 of preventing one single individual from entailing upon himself 

 chagrin and disappointment by his future purchases, I shall con- 

 sider myself amply repaid. I have adopted the following abbrevia- 

 tions, which I think as convenient as any that can be used, and they 

 arc sufficient to give an idea of the general appearance of the flowers, 

 viz. — p. b. for pure bottom, s. b. stained bottom, g. c. good cup, 

 v. violet, r. rose, f. feathered, fl. flamed, fl. and f. flamed and 

 feathered, n. narrow, m. middling, br. brown, h. heavily, 1. lightly. 

 The catalogue will, therefore, be read thus : Rose Amadis, a pure 

 bottom, good cup, and rose heavily flamed, and so on. 



