94 DUTCH BULBS AND GARDENS 



declare that it can doe his master no more service, 

 and therefore with this jollity doth bid him good- 

 night." Unfortunately modern experience proves 

 this to be incorrect, for the variegation when 

 produced usually continues without reversion to 

 the self-coloured original for an indefinite length 

 of time. There are certain distinct types in the 

 variegations. Robinson describes them as follows : 

 " A feathered tulip has the colour finely pencilled 

 round the margin of the petals, the base of the 

 flowers being pure ; in a " Flamed " 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 Bybloomens 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." Most of which variegations, though 

 still much appreciated by some people, have not 

 the place in popular admiration they had two 

 hundred years ago, or even as recently as one 

 hundred, some of the authors of which period give 

 simple directions for the helping of nature in 

 "effecting the marvellous work of breaking the 

 breeding tulip into diversified colours." 



