THE TULIP. Ill 



plants come into bloom, they should be protected by an 

 awning, to preserve them longer in perfection. After the 

 flowers have faded, the awning should be removed, and 

 the plants allowed to ripen the foliage. When this is done, 

 the bulbs should be taken up carefully, dried, and kept in a 

 dry, cool place until the season for planting again arrives. 

 Tulips will, however, grow in any deep, rich, light soil. 

 They are very impatient of standing water, and do not im- 

 prove by being left in the ground from year to year : 

 indeed, if not annually taken up, they " run out," to use 

 the gardener's term ; that is, the choicer and more delicate 

 varieties die out, and the stronger and coarser revert to 

 the old red color. Much that is curious might be written 

 upon the disappointed hopes of the raisers of seedling tu- 

 lips ; for the chances of success are very small, and those of 

 failure very great. Seedlings bloom in about five years, 

 and tlie modes taken to make them " break " are very curi- 

 ous. Tulips are divided into three classes, — bizarres, by- 

 bloemens, and roses. In the former, the ground-color is 

 yellow ; and in the two latter, white. A chief point of per- 

 fection is the purity of this ground-color : if at all marked 

 or cloudy, the flower is poor. Tiic base of the flower 

 inside sliould be clear ; that is, none of the marking should 



