S38 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



[No. 6 



fention, either from the great variety of ornamen- 

 tal plants they contain, or the beauty of some fa- 

 vorite kinds, that have been managed m the most 

 skilful manner. 



Mr. Walker's exhibition of tulips became the 

 first chief point of attraction for nearly two weeks, 

 and thousands were (lelii»hted, with the superb 

 display, of that infinitely various and gorgeous 

 family of flowers. 



Other towns, it appears, have also enjoyed a 

 like interesting spectacle ; but a discrimination 

 must be made between the merit due for quantity, 

 and that resulting from the excellence of the va- 

 rieties, and the perfection of their development. 

 The enterprisino; gentlemen of Newburyport and 

 Salem, are entitled to great credit, for the taste 

 they have evinced, in the culture of elegant plants ; 

 but it is presumed they do not claim precedence, 

 unless they had also as many kinds, which were 

 as rare and perfect in florescence, as those which 

 Mr. Walker presented ; for the mere superiority 

 in number, cannot be considered as givitio; pre- 

 eminence, in any vegetable production, unless it 

 is of some very peculiar or notoriously useful 

 species. 



To obtain bulbs of the best kinds of tulips from 

 Holland, Belgium, France, and England, is very 

 difficult and expensive, as every person has expe- 

 rienced, who has undertaken to introduce any par- 

 ticular plant from foreign countries. The bulbs, 

 generally sent to this country for sale, are the re- 

 jected of the larrje nurseries, as all the most choice 

 and valuable kinds are carefully reserved for the 

 European markets, where the amateur purchasers 

 are numerous, and willing and able to pay the 

 highest price, for the remarkable varieties. Even 

 in our day the extavagant passion for tulips has 

 not entirely subsided, and from 500 to 1500 dollars 

 have been given, within a few years, for a single 

 bulb, while those disposed of, at our auction sales, 

 do not average more than from five to fifteen 

 cents, and often not so much. Some of Mr. 

 Walker's cost in London fifly dollars each, and 

 many of them from ten to twenty. 



I have cultivated the tulip durincr a number of 

 years, and had five thousand in bloom at one 

 time, three thousand of which were in a bed, and 

 the remainder scattered in the borders of the ave- 

 nues and garden walks ; but as a show of flowers, 

 it was, in all respects, inferior to that of Mr. 

 Walker's bed of only eight hundred, from the in- 

 feriority of the kinds, small number of distinfjuish- 

 ed varieties, negligent mode of cultivation, and 

 imperfect florescence. 



To give this superb flower an opportunity of 

 displaying all its charming attributes, the soil 

 must be deeply trenched, and enriched by a pecu- 

 liar compost of thoroughly decomposed barn-yard 

 manure, river sand, and decayed leaves or other 

 vegetable matter, while a screen is indispensable 

 to protect the plants, from the cold night air, the 

 direct rays of the sun, and violent winds, when 

 bursting into flower and during the period of their 

 bloom. This Mr. Walker provided, at an ex- 

 pense of several hundred dollars, in a neat and 

 complete manner, in the form of a beautiful pavi- 

 lion, which was covered with stout white cotton 

 cloth, so arranged, as to be easily rolled up, and 

 let down, by means of pullies. 



Tulips have been a favorite florist's flower for 

 centuries, not only in Holland, but in England and 



other European nations ; and as early as 1630, 

 Parkinson, after enumerating one hundred and for- 

 ty sorts, observes in his quaint manner, that "to 

 tell of all the kinds which are the pride of delight, 

 they are so many, as to pass my ability, and, as I 

 believe, the skill of any other." He was a cele- 

 brated herbist and botanist, and acted in that ca- 

 pacity to James f, and Charles I, His book on 

 gardening is the first which was published in 

 Great Britain, worthy of consideration. It is en- 

 titled '"Paradisi Insole Paradisus Terrestres; or a 

 garden of all sorts of pleasant flowers, which our 

 English ayre will admit to be nursed up; with a 

 kitchen garden of all manner of herbes, roots and 

 fruits for meate, and sause used with us ; and an 

 orchard of all sorts of fruit bearing trees and 

 shrubbes, fit fijr our land, together with the right 

 ordering, planting and preparing of them, and 

 their use and virtues." 



In Parkinson's time tulips were divided into 

 pracoces, or early blowers, and scrotince or late 

 blowers, with an intermediate class of (hibice 

 medics, doubtflil or middle blowers, as they flower- 

 ed between the two others. The early blowers, 

 have short stems and the Due Van ThroU is al- 

 most the only variety in repute, among modern flor- 

 ists. The great number of distinguished and ad- 

 mired varieties are all produced from the late 

 blowers, which, having tall stems and much finer 

 colors, engross nearly the whole attention of the 

 cultivators of tulips. The modern mode of class- 

 ing the late blowers by the Dutch florists is as 

 follows. 



Prime Baguets, from the French word ba- 

 guette, a rod, or wand ; they are very tall, with 

 handsome cups and white bottoms, well broken 

 with fine brown, and all from the same breeder. 



RigauVs Baguets. — This variety is supposed 

 to have received its distinctive appellation from 

 some individual by the name of Rigaut, who waa 

 eminent in this branch of floriculture. They are 

 not quite so tall as the former, but have strong 

 stems, and very large well-formed cups, with 

 white bottoms, handsomely broken with rich 

 brown color, and all from the same breeder. 



Incomparable Verports. — A particular kind of 

 Bybloemens. Cups very perfect, cherry-red and 

 rose-color and white bottoms, well broken with 

 shining brown. Some of these are from ten to 

 twenty-five dollars a root, 



Bybloemens, or next flowers, called by the 

 French Flamands. They have white ground, or 

 nearly so, and are beautifully broken, with shades 

 of purple and a variety of colors. They are from 

 different breeders. 



Bizarres, from the French odd, or irregular. 

 Ground yellow, from different breeders, and broken 

 with a variety of colors. 



Paroquets, or Parrot Tulips. — The edges of 

 the petals are fringed, colors brilliant crimson and 

 yellow, with shades of bright green ; but still they 

 are held in no sort of esteem among florists. 



Double. — These are of various, brilliant red, 

 yellow and mixed colors; but, like many other 

 double flowers, are deemed monsters, and not ap- 

 preciated by flower fanciers, although they have 

 an elegant appearance, fi-om their upright, tall, 

 and firm stems, and crowns of large peeony-shaped 

 flowers, and when scattered, with the parrot, 

 among the small shrubs and other plants in the 



