78 ON THE CULTURE OF THE TULIP. 



or cut the bulbs ; separate the largest offsets, and place them in a 

 dry room or shed, where the air has free access constantly, but 

 totally away from the effects of sun or fire. When the bulbs are 

 dry and hardened, say in about a week or ten days, place them 

 carefully away until the time of replanting. 



The method adopted by man}' famous Tulip bloomers, who 

 have many hundred named roots to take care of, is to have shallow 

 boxes or drawers, with divisions or partitions in each, only large 

 enough to hold one root in each ; they contain seven holes or 

 divisions from front to back, and may be made any width that is 

 fancied. These rows are numbered from 1 progressively, by which 

 means the roots are placed in them in that order as they are taken 

 from the Tulip bed. The Tulips are of course planted in the 

 precise order in which they are arranged and written down by name 

 in the Tulip book, and if any mistake or error is discovered in the 

 course of the bloom, the book is then corrected. So the roots 

 are taken up and disposed in these boxes, by which means 

 the book and the boxes agree as to order, and any alteration 

 or variation of roots for the subsequent planting can be made at 

 pleasure. 



But as this, though a most superior and convenient plan, may 

 be found objectionable on the ground of expense and trouble at 

 first, (as these boxes or drawers should, to be complete, be fitted 

 into a case or frame, after the manner of a chest of drawers, with 

 open ribbed sides and back, and kept in an airy, dry room, away 

 from sun, and where little or no fire is kept,) the best method that 

 I am aware of, in the absence of some such convenience, is to put 

 the roots singly in what is termed technically " small hand" paper, 

 one root only in a piece of paper, with the name of the Tulip 

 written on it. This is the best paper that can be procured for the 

 purpose, being soft and pliable, and not liable to injure the shoots 

 of the bulbs previous to planting. 



Offsets — Should be planted about three weeks earlier than the 

 parent bulbs, and tolerably close in proportion to their size, with 

 a layer of sharp sand under them, and covered about two inches 

 with fine sifted soil. 



The whole body of soil for the main bed should be first passed 

 through a screen, or coarse sieve. 



1 have never known or heard of Tulips treated somewhat upon 



