ON THE CULTIVATION OF TtTLIPS. 241 



although alive, were not thriving ; but those upon Manettii stocks were 

 all growing vigorously, and blooming beautifully. Some of them had 

 been reduced to one stem, and this only shortened to three feet ; by 

 that means they had formed beautiful half standards, with good heads 

 full of bloom, the second year from the bud ! Some Tea Roses, upon 

 the same stocks, planted against a wall, were in the most vigorous 

 health, and had been covered with flowers for a considerable time. 

 Those were larger plants the first year from the bud than could have 

 been obtained on their own roots in four years ; they also withstood the 

 Mdnter without any protection, although newly planted. Previous to 

 tliis Tea Roses could never be made to live here on their oion roots in 

 the same situation. I have extended this letter a great deal further 

 than I intended when I started, but it was my wish to adduce practical 

 proofs (not logical reasonings) of the excellent properties of the Rose 

 Manettii. It is my firm conviction that ere long dwarf Roses at least 

 will not be saleable on any other stocks j nor do I despair of it 

 making good standards, for I have this year a plant of Moss grandiflora 

 which was left uncut down ; upon the strongest shoot it broke five or 

 six eyes about four feet from the ground. When I noticed this I cut 

 away the other shoots, and a piece from the top of the strong one ; it 

 is now as fine a standard Rose as need be seen, with a full head of 

 bloom the second year from the bud ! In this way standard Rose-trees 

 may be obtained in the same way as standard Fruit-trees on their own 

 stems, which I have no doubt will swell with the growth of the head— 

 Gardeners* Journal. 



ON THE CULTIVATION OF TULIPS. 



IN LETTERS TO a FRIEND. 



Letter VIII. 



Dear Sir, — Your last respects came duly to hand, containing lots of 

 thanks for my communications on this subject. One part of yours, I 

 note, it does not please me. You say that you are sure that the breaking 

 of the breeder Tulip must be a pleasing employ, and particularly ex- 

 citing ; to this I agree, and am glad that you are come to this conclusion, 

 because it is quite in accordance with the views I have always held, 

 but still it is a course that requires a vast deal of care, and you have 

 begun it in a way that is certain to bring you continual dissatisfaction. 

 You say that your patience would not allow you to wait for the break- 

 ing of your own seedlings, and you have purcliased two or three hundred 

 of a Tulip fancier, who assures you they are good things ; you did not see 

 them in bloom. This is certainly an unwise procedure, not in accordance 

 with your usual discrimination, and demonstrating a predominance of 

 that verdure, manifested by the rustic on leaving the confines of his 

 native village, and entering on the more active scenes of life. You 

 saw not a bloom, know nothing of their shape, form, or colour, and 

 their bottoms may be as black as a Jew's eye lor aught you know, and 

 what then ? Your trouble for nothing, your money thrown away, 



