DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF FLOAVERS. 375 



lating manures. This causes the colors to run together, 

 and the flower becomes what the florist denominates 

 "foul," and they can only be restored to their former 

 beauty by planting in a j^ure loamy soil for a few years. 



A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPERTIES OF A FES^E LATE 

 TULIP. 



The stem should be strong, elastic, and erect, and about 

 thirty inches above the surface of the bed. 



The flower should be large, and composed of six petals. 

 These should form almost a perfect cuj), with a round 

 bottom, rather wide at the top. 



The three exterior petals should be somewhat larger 

 than tlie three interior ones, and broader at their base. 

 All the petals should have perfectly entire edges, free 

 from notch or serrature. The top of each should be 

 broad and well rounded. The ground color of the flow- 

 er, at the bottom of the cup, should be a clear white or 

 yellow ; and the various rich colored stripes, which are 

 the principal ornament of a fine Tulip, should be regular, 

 bold, and distinct on the margin, and terminate in fine 

 broken points, elegantly feathered or penciled. These 

 are the principal jjoints of excellence, in the eyes of a 

 florist ; yet with amateurs there is some diflference of 

 opinion. 



The colors which are generally held in greatest estima- 

 tion, in variegated striped sorts, are black, golden-yellow, 

 jDurple, violet, rose, and vermilion, each of which is varied 

 in difterent ways ; but such as are striped with three dif- 

 ferent colors, in a distinct and unmixed manner, with 

 strong regular streaks, and but little or no tinge of the 

 breeder, are considered the most perfect. 



The cultivati(^n of the Tulip is mystified by the elabo- 

 rate directions generally given for its cultivation. I have 

 succeeded, for many years, in ^^roducing very fine flowers 



