TULIPS. 



524 



TULIPS. 



drawn up weakly. In February they begin 

 to appear, when the ground should be 

 stirred, all lumps broken, and pressed close 

 round the stems. As the spikes begin to 

 open, they form a receptacle for the wet, 

 and the frost must not be then allowed to 

 reach them. When the colours begin to show, 

 in order to protect their bloom, a top-cloth 

 must be provided to shelter them from the 

 sun, taking care that no more air than is 

 absolutely necessary is excluded, the cloth 

 being let down on the sunny side only, and 

 that only when the sun is powerful. 



Storing Bulbs. Soon after tulips have 

 finished flowering, the leaves will ripen and 

 die off. They should be immediately taken 

 up with all the soil that will adhere to the 

 bulb, slightly dried, and put away in 

 drawers or paper bags, each sort by itself. 

 During the summer they should be fre- 

 quently looked over to see that they are not 

 decaying. On the 1st of October rub off 

 all the offsets, and plant them by them- 

 selves, and prepare for planting the entire 

 stock forthwith. For the names and colours 

 of special sorts of the tulip, whether dwarf 

 or show, the reader is referred to the price 

 list of any nurseryman and seedsman who 

 provides a large stock of Dutch bulbs for 

 sale in autumn. 



Sowing Seed. Tulip seed may be sown 

 either in spring or autumn, and in the soil 

 already described ; it should be saved from 

 the best flowers only, and those grown by 

 themselves, where no inferior pollen can 

 reach them. The small offsets should be 

 planted by themselves and labelled, in 

 similar soil to that already described. 

 Breeders such as we have described may be 

 grown in any soil. 



Classification. Tulips are divided into 

 Roses, Byblomens, and Bizarres. Roses 

 have a white ground, and crimson, pink, or 

 scarlet markings. Byblomens are those 

 having a white ground, and purple, lilac, or 

 black markings. Bizarres have a yellow 



ground, with any coloured marks that pre- 

 sent themselves. Self-tulips are those 

 which are of one colour, such as white or 

 yellow, showing no inclination to sport into 

 other colours. All tulips stained at the 

 base should be excluded in collections in- 

 tended for exhibition ; for, though they 

 may mark prettily, this defect is fatal to 

 competition : those having long dispropor- 

 tioned cups or pointed petals are also defec- 

 tive for that purpose. Whenever addition 

 is made to the bed, make the selection 

 when they are in bloom. By this means 

 you are certain of the strain. If seed is 

 required, let the hybridising or crossing be 

 done now, selecting finely formed and pure 

 flowers on both sides ; do not, however, 

 cross a rose or byblomen with a bizarre. 



Early Tulips. For the purposes of 

 winter and spring gardening, early flower- 

 ing tulips, double and single, are even more 

 indispensable than the hyacinth, narcissus, 

 and crocus. Their rich, brilliant, and 

 diversified hues constitute, for the sitting- 

 room, conservatory, and winter garden, a 

 charm of no ordinary character, .while in 

 the beds and borders of the spring flower- 

 garden their picturesque effect and glowing 

 combination of colours exceed those afforded 

 by any other section of garden favourites. 

 Their extreme hardiness, certainty of bloom- 

 ing, and the absence of all difficulty in 

 their cultivation, distinctly entitle them to 

 a preference in the choice of occupants for 

 the spring flower garden. Tulips do well 

 in the shade, and there they remain long in 

 bloom. 



Early Single Tulips. No section of 

 tulips displays so great a variety of delicate, 

 striking, and attractive colours. Of Selfs, 

 there are beautiful scarlets, crimsons, whites, 

 and yellows ; of parti-colours, snow-white 

 grounds, striped and feathered with purple, 

 violet, crimson, rose, puce, and cerise, andyel- 

 low grounds, with crimson, scarlet, and red 

 flakes and feathers ; so that only those who 



