FLORICULTUHAL GLEANINGS. 79 



" The Star of the North '' is evidently a satellite of Mr. Groom's, 

 who advocated the " semi-oblate spheroid " idea at a meeting of the 

 London Floricultural Society, April 5th, 1842, and was combated by 

 Mr. Bowler, -who seems to dislike this shape as much as any of us ; 

 and as many of the readers of the Cabinet may not have seen this, I 

 shall take the liberty of quoting his opinions on the subject. — (See 

 " Gardener's Chronicle," April 23, 1S42.) 



" Mr. Bowler then commenced his remarks on Mr. Groom's paper 

 on the Tulip, from which he differed in many material points, pre- 

 facing his account with a short notice of its physiological structure. 

 He observed that Mr. Groom had recommended a semi-oblate sphe- 

 roid as the most perfect form, which in his (Mr. Bowler's) opinion 

 was the very worst that could possibly be, not having sufficient power 

 to retain its general outline; neither should the pole be depressed— in 

 our best flowers it was not. He did not agree with Mr. Groom that 

 the petals should have a gradual swell ; this, with a semi-oblate 

 spheroidal form, would produce quartering, and convert a beautiful 

 outline into the resemblance of a common brace made by an unskilful 

 hand. In his opinion the semi-globular was the more preferable, 

 and was the medium form of all our best Tulips. It had been re- 

 marked that the third of a globular ball would represent the best 

 shape ; but he had never met with it, and in his idea it would present 

 a meagre form. The edge of the petals should be unbroken ; their 

 greatest width near the top, which would prevent all quartering, (a 

 term which in reality meant dividing into four ; whereas the Tulip 

 parts into six; and it would be better, in his opinion, if sextalising, 

 or some more proper term, were substituted,) which is, however, 

 greatly counteracted by night-covering. Sometimes the sepals fall 

 first; at others, as in Rose Brilliant, petals and sepals fall together. 

 With respect to colour, that of the ground is an important object; it 

 varies from white to an intense yellow, the pure white and bright 

 yellow bdng the best. The feather, whether broad or narrow, should 

 be insensibly lost towards the centre of the petal in the ground colour, 

 and forming fine unbroken lines, either alternately yellow and black, 

 or white and rose. The true flame consists of a mass of colour in 

 the centre of the petal, having an irregular and angular outline. It 

 is usually associated with the feather, but it is impossible to associate 



