THE TULIP. 179 



rich loamy soil, of rather a sandy nature, which 

 should be dug twelve months, at least, before it is 

 used. Many florists are afraid of adding dung, lest 

 it should start the colours, and render the cups foul, 

 and therefore use none; but if you wish to blow 

 them of any size, you must, however, add a small 

 portion, taking care that it be well rotten and incor- 

 porated with the loam. Perhaps the safest way, after 

 all, is to dig a little dung in at the bottom of the bed, 

 a foot, at least, below the bulbs. 



A very intelligent and old Tulip grower assured 

 me, that the best compost he could ever hit upon, 

 after many experiments, was the following ; the com- 

 ponent parts of which were : 



| Rich yellow loam, 



T Leaf mould, 



Two year old horse-dung, 



i- Sea sand. 



The bed was dug two feet deep. 



The usual time of planting them, according to 

 the ' Florist's Calendar,' near London, is the Lord 

 Mayor's Day, which is the 9th of November-: the 



