14 ox THE CULTIVATION OF TULIPS, 



proportion of coarse river sand, say one fifth, can be incorporated with 

 it, it will very much add to their vigour. 



The various species and varieties make very interesting and beautiful 

 objects as pot plants. The A. pehgrina is especally adapted for this 

 purpose, because it retains its foliage entire until the plants have done 

 blooming. INIany of the kinds lose all their lower leaves by the time 

 they are about to develope tlieir flowers, much in the same way as the 

 common white lily, but this defect is more than made up by their 

 handsome trusses of bloom. 



Few plants are more interesting and beautiful in their appearance 

 than these ; and for this reason every garden, upon which only common 

 care is bestowed, sliould have a collection of them. And a few grown 

 in pots, and placed in the greenhouse among other plants, when in 

 bloom, make a variegation of the richest kind. 



I trust the above remarks, being inserted in the first Number of 

 another volume, will have the effect of introducing them into more 

 general cultivation. 



ON THE CULTIVATION OF TULIPS. 



IN LETTERS TO A FRIEND. 



Dear Sir, — It at all times affords me much pleasure to hear of the ex- 

 tension of floriculture ; it is a science that seems to grow upon human 

 nature, and never exhausts the patience. In your kind respects, you 

 say that you intend to become one of the fancy, that you mean to 

 cultivate Tulips to a considerable extent, and wish a few instructions 

 from me on the subject. You seem to intimate that you suppose there 

 are a few secrets attending their culture, and that it is a mystery that 

 perhaps I miglit not like to divulge. I can assure you, that whatever 

 mystery there may be about them, that may be known to me, I shall 

 feel a pleasure to disclose to you, if by so doing I can add to the num- 

 ber of admirers of my favourite flower ; it is a subject that will take 

 some time to descant upon, so I must implore your patience. 



You say that you shall have to purchase at once; allow me to 

 suggest, " don't be too fast." I advise that you see several good beds 

 in bloom before you buy a bulb ; make a note of those that are of good 

 form and perfectly clean in the bottom. By form I mean a good com- 

 pact flower; the top of the petals or leaves Cjuite round, and so close 

 together, that it would hold water if poured into the cup. Purchase 

 nothing but these good-formed and clean flowers. When you purchase 

 go to a respectable, liberal man ; for some, indeed a great part of the 

 tulips in cultivation go, and are sold under different names, and you 

 must be careful you do not buy one tulip half a dozen times over. If 

 you buy of a liberal man he will not deceive you. Do not be over 

 anxious to get new things, they are always high in price, and seldom 

 turn out so oood to frrow as the old tried ones do. There are a larije 

 variety of good old sorts that ai'e not to be beaten, to be bought cheap. 

 But in a itt\v years, as you go on, the experience you will gain by pro- 

 gressive practice will enable you to form a judgment of the different 



