68 CULTIVATION. 



injurious to the purity and distinctness of its 

 colours in the succeeding year. 



This sign on the stalk and leaves usually ap- 

 pears in about three or four weeks after the time 

 of full bloom ; during which time the bed only 

 requires to be kept rather dry than otherwise. 



When a tulip-bed is regarded as one of the 

 principal ornaments of a garden, it is an exhibi- 

 tion of which every friend or stranger has a 

 view ; and, on the premises of a professional 

 florist, his tulip-bed is a show to which every 

 customer is invited. In such cases, next to the 

 excellence and condition of the flowers is the 

 precise order of their arrangement. Every 

 individual having its right place, according to 

 its height, colour, &c., and, above all, that there 

 be no unsightly blanks. But with the utmost 

 care a bulb now and then will die, or send up an 

 imperfect flower. To remedy such defects, sub- 

 stitutes from the open ground are brought to fill 

 up the vacancies. For this purpose an instru- 

 ment is used, called a transplanter. Two of them 



