1838] 



F A R M E R S ■ R E G I S T E R 



339 



borders of avenues niid walks, or planted out in 

 separate beds, they have a ])leasin<r ellect. 



In the cataloiTue of JMosan liir 1820, tliere arc 

 six ?oris ol" early tulipp, Ibiir ofParoquets, twenly- 

 two double, and upward of six lunidred kite kinds. 



Breeders are such as Imve been procured from 

 the seed, and consist ol" one color, which is red, 

 purple, violet, gray, brown, black, yellow, or some 

 other individual color, without any sort of varia- 

 tion. These are cultivated in a rather poor and 

 dry soil, and become broken, or variegated, in 

 infrom one to twenty years, and produce new va- 

 rieties ; but so uncertain is the prospect of a favor- 

 able result, that but few persons have been willing 

 to make experiments, ior after many years of pa- 

 tient and unremitted attention, there may not be 

 one remarkable and choice variety, out of a thou- 

 sand seedling bulbs. It is from this circumstance, 

 that a new and superb tulip commands the high 

 prices in Europe which have been named, and ac- 

 tually paid, within a few years. 



When the tulip has broken, tlic colors are un- 

 changeable, and are perpetuated by ofisets from 

 the parent bulb. 



The tulips which are deemed worthy of special 

 attention, by amateurs, belong chiefly to the class- 

 es of Bizarres and Bybloemens ; and the pro- 

 perties of a fine variegated late variety, accord- 

 ing to the best modern florists, are as follows : 



Petals of a graceful form, the three exterior 

 ones larger at the base than those of the interior ; 

 colors delicate, yet conspicuous, Irom the manner 

 in which the tints are displayed, whether spotted, 

 striped, feathered, blotched, splashed, pencilled, 

 mottled, flaked, or as the French more significant- 

 ly term the breakings of ihis flower panache; 

 edges entire and rounded, or but slightly crenated, 

 at the summit, and so symmetrically arranged, as 

 to form a perfect cup-shaped corolla, with a round 

 bottom — except in some anomalous and remarka- 

 ble kinds, like that called the mountain of snow, 

 whose petals are slightly acuminated, recurved, 

 a little undulate, and the flower leaning to one 

 side. Stem strong, upright, and nearly thirty 

 inches high; radical foliage, long, broad, undulat- 

 ing, and of deep rich green. The ground color 

 of the bottoms of the cups should be clear, white, 

 or yellow; the centre of each petal should contain 

 one or more bold blotches or stripes, intermixed 

 with small portions of the original color, abruptly 

 broken into many irregular obtuse points. i"he 

 colors which are generally held in the greatest es- 

 timation, in variegated striped sorts, are black, 

 golden-yellow, purple, violet, rose, and vermilion, 

 each of which being varied in diflTerent ways ; 

 but such as are striped with three different colors, 

 in a distinct and unmixed manner, with strong re- 

 gular streaks, and but little or no tinge oi' the 

 breeder, are considered the most perfect. 



An uncle of Mr. Walker, who resides near 

 Windsor Castle, is celebrated for his tulips and 

 ranunculuses, having produced several magnifi- 

 cent varieties of the former and many of the lat- 

 ter from the seed. His exhibitions of those uni- 

 versally admired flowers have been so superb, 

 that his garden has been annually visited by the 

 sovereigns, nobility, and that numerous portion 

 of the population, of Great Britain who have a 

 taste for ornamental plants. From him, the ne- 

 phew has received many of his superior roots. 



Besides the commendable exertions of Mr. 



Walker to present an interesting display of well 

 cultivated and choice tulips, he has eminently 

 succeeded in raising from imported plants and 

 seed, numerous new varieties of" the viola grandi- 

 flora — the most admirable ol" that large family of 

 charming flowers, lie has, in fact, made tiiis 

 large and brilliant pansy, known to New Eng- 

 land, by the extensive seminaries, which he baa 

 established, and the multitude of plants which de- 

 corate his ground. He had seven hundred vari- 

 eties in bloom at the time his tulips were in flow- 

 er, and the corollas of some of" them, were more 

 than two inches in diameter. He also cultivates 

 the ranunculus — one of the most delicate, beauti- 

 ful, but difficult of all herbaceous perennial plants, 

 to bring into a full and perlecl florescence. He 

 has two beds, this season, containing over two 

 thousand tubers, and one hundred and thirty 

 kinds, which, if the weather should not have 

 been too hot, will present an exhibition of flowers 

 as rare and interesting as that of his tulips. 



To the above-named plants and the dahlia, Mr. 

 Walker has devoted his sole attention, leaving to 

 others the vast field of floriculture fi^r the se- 

 lection of their favorite flowers, and the distinc- 

 tion they Imve attained, or may acquire, from the 

 intelligence, skill, and industry bestowed on their 

 cultivation, and that complete success, which so 

 amply rewards the ardent amateur. 



The necessity of a division of attention to the 

 several departments of ornamental and usefiil 

 plants, is as obvious, as that of labor in the me- 

 chanical arts; and the advantages derived there- 

 from are as certain, as they are conspicuous and 

 satisfactory. 



Colonel Wilder is unrivalled, in this country, in 

 the number, variety and successful cultivation of 

 the camellia, the rhododendron, azalea, and rose, 

 having over three hundred kinds of the first, and 

 upwards of four hundred of the last named plants. 

 Mr. Mannino-, of Salem, has the largest varie- 

 ty of pears, he having made that delicious fruit 

 his favorite object of culture, while the apple and 

 plum have claimed his next regard. Mr. Wm. 

 Kenrick is well known for his extensive and well- 

 managed nursery of forest, fruit, and ornamental 

 trees, shrubs, and herbaceous flowering plants; 

 and for several years he has made most honora- 

 ble efforts +0 introduce t'le morus multicaulis and 

 other valuable species of the mulberry, for afibrd- 

 ing the best aliment to the silk worm. Hj has 

 also the merit of establishing the first extensive 

 nursery in New England, and has published a 

 very interesting and useful work on fruit frees. 

 He, with Mr. Manning, first succeeded in obtain- 

 ing Mr. Van Mon"s new kind of pears, and he 

 has a collection of that kind of f"ruit trees, ol" great 

 value, fl-om the number of varieties. 



Mr. Pond, of Cambridgeport, has become emi- 

 nent for rearing large numl)ers of plum-trees of 

 the most choice varieties, and also for his superior 

 mode of raising asparagus. 



The Messrs. Winship of Brighton, have a vast 

 nursery, a large green-house and forcing-house, 

 in which are collected a greater number and va- 

 riety of useful and ornamental trees and plants, 

 than are to be found in any other like establish- 

 ment north of Long Island. Their importations 

 of European forest-trees, and exotic sfirubs, and 

 herbaceous flowers, have been extensive, and con- 

 tributed, in an eminent degree, to extend a taste 



