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TULIPA. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



that there is considerable confusion 

 with regard to them. The popular 

 garden forms may, broadly speaking, 

 be separated into two classes, early and 

 late flowering. T. suaveolens, from 

 S. Russia, is now regarded as the type 

 of the numerous early-flowering varie- 

 ties, of which Due van Thol is a 

 familiar example ; but these, though 



flowers, bizarres, bybloemens, and roses. 

 When a seedling flowers for the first 

 time it is usually a self, and in a few 

 years (but occasionally not until thirty 

 years) it will break into the flamed 

 or feathered state. A feathered Tulip 

 has the colour finely pencilled round 

 the margin of the petals, the base of 

 the flower being pure, and in a flamed 



Old garden Tulips. 



commonly planted, are of less value 

 for the garden than the later forms 

 which open in May. These have all 

 come from T. Gesneriana, and whilst 

 possessing infinite variety of colour, 

 all have the fine form and stately 

 character of the parent. These late 

 Tulips, following the Daffodils, are 

 precious garden flowers of easy cul- 

 ture, still less grown than they should 

 be. For about three centuries they 

 have been grown by florists, who 

 have raised numerous varieties, which 

 form an enormous class divided into 

 four sections viz., breeders or self- 



flower stripes of colour descend from 

 the top of the petals towards the base. 

 In the bizarres the colours are red, 

 brownish-red, chestnut, and maroon, 

 the base being clear yellow ; in the 

 bybloemens the colours are black and 

 various shades of purple, the base being 

 white ; and in the roses, rose of 

 various shades and also deep red or 

 scarlet, the base being white again. 

 Of these classes the late-flowering 

 self-coloured " breeders " are the best 

 of all for effect. The Parrot Tulips, 

 with curiously cut and fringed petals, 

 are often strangely splashed and 



