OCT.] FLOWER GARDEN. 561 



paratory to the emission of fibres, and also a disposition at the upper 

 end of some to show foliage. 



By keeping the roots out of ground after this predisposition to 

 vegetation, they would be greatly weakened thereby. 



The situation for the best bed of superior tulips, should be in an 

 open airy part of the garden, protected at the same time from north 

 and west winds by some distant shelter; when that is fixed upon, the 

 ground should be marked out agreeably to its intended dimensions, 

 and the soil taken out twenty inches deep ; the bottom is then to be 

 filled up with sound fresh earth ten inches thick, upon which is to 

 be placed a stratum of two years old rotten cow-dung and earth of 

 the above description, one-half of each, well mixed together and laid 

 on twelve inches thick ; upon this is to be placed another stratum of 

 the same kind of earth as that of the bottom ; this latter is only to be 

 two inches thick at the sides, and three in the middle of the bed, 

 which will give it a small degree of convexity. 



The bed should be thus prepared a week or ten days previous to 

 planting the roots, in order to give it time to settle, so as to be about 

 two inches higher than the circumjacent paths; but if heavy rains 

 intervene between this preparation of the bed and planting, it will 

 be proper to keep them off in order to preserve the earth from be- 

 coming too compact by a redundancy of moisture, for the young 

 fibres to pass freely through it. 



On the day made choice of for planting, rake the surface of the 

 bed smooth, and level any inequalities, still preserving its convexity, 

 and mark the exact situation for every root upon it. The proper 

 distance between each root is seven inches every way. 



A bed consisting of seven rows makes the most grand appearance 

 when it is of sufficient length, with a path around it about two and 

 a half or three feet wide ; but where the number of roots is small, 

 five rows may suffice, and the path in that case may either extend 

 quite around the bed, or only on one side, at pleasure. 



If the bed consists of seven rows it should consequently be fifty 

 inches wide, which will allow a space of four inches between the out- 

 side rows and the sides of the bed; but if the bed contains only five 

 rows, it will only require to be three feet wide to give the roots simi- 

 lar distances. 



Having sprinkled a little clean sand where the roots are to be set r 

 place them with great exactness, and add some very sandy earth, so 

 as to completely envelope each root in a little cone of it ; then cover 

 the whole very carefully with strong, sound, fresh loam, about four 

 inches thick or a little better, if the roots are strong, so as to allow 

 the covering to be from three and a half to four inches thick, after 

 the earth shall have settled, still observing to preserve the original 

 convexity of the bed. 



The tallest growing kinds should be placed in the middle; and the- 

 lower towards the outsides. No tulip root, whatever may be its size 

 or strength, should be planted more than four inches deep from the 

 upper side of the root ; nor should any blooming root be planted less 

 than three inches deep, however small it may be. The soil made 

 use of for covering the bulbs, should be frequently turned over and 

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