204 REMARKS ON ARTICLES IN THE CABINET ON TULIPS. 



that price. It is like attempting to wash the black negro white as to 

 expect that a black or stained bottom will break pure ; it is out of 

 the course of nature to expect it ; I admit there is a probability, if 

 the filaments are white in a Rose or Byblomen, and yellow in a Bi- 

 zarre, but even in this case it is very doubtful. In conclusion, Mr. T. 

 passes very great encomiums on Clarke's, Lawrence's, &c. Breeders, 

 we must never have had a fair sample here of them or else the cream 

 has been previously taken away. The principal part that I have ever 

 seen have had (according to my taste) too long cups, others appear 

 to have been raised from Roi de Siam from their creamy bottoms. I 

 do not like creamy flowers, for the chances are against you of getting 

 such bleached out until the flower is overgrown and the petals nearly 

 falling. Mr. T. also, in a note, passes a few remarks upon Dutch 

 Tulips. I think he will admit that, if they have not been the raisers 

 of fine varieties, they have been the first to introduce them to the no- 

 tice of florists, and taken great care in their propagation, and of course 

 we ought to respect them for it. 



And now a word to Mr. William Harrison respecting a passage in 

 one of my articles which he does not understand. I stated that we 

 agreed with the southern florists in all points save one, that was the 

 marking. The meaning is plain : we like in the 1st, a good form; 

 2ndly, a large flower; 3rdly, a pure bottom ; so do they; but in ad- 

 dition, we want the beautiful and regular pencilling round the petal. 

 I would ask any amateur of painting, if a first-rate artist were engaged 

 in a picture, and he had sketched it out in the most beautiful and 

 correct manner, and afterwards put in the grounds which were to give 

 effect to the picture when finished, and he were to see it in that state, 

 certainly he would admire it ; but when it was finished, and all those 

 fine and beautiful tints and touches were put in, then would his ad- 

 miration be increased an hundred fold. So it is with a Tulip ; nature 

 has put a little colour here and there without any appearance of regu- 

 larity as the painter alluded to, and leaves it in an unfinished state ; 

 this is exactly the southern taste. The northern florists want nature 

 to take her pencil and beautifully give those fine finishing touches in 

 her best style, and if she does not do so, it is not considered fit for 

 any exhibition. 



Mr. Harrison r s suggestions as to cataloguing Tulips is very good, 

 but it is a work that will take more than one season to accomplish. 



