Remarks on the cultivation of the Tulip. 1 93 



it till the lime of planting; it should then be taken off, and the 

 root left bare; but it should be performed with care, to avoid 

 bruising or wounding the bulb, especially at the lower end, 

 where the roots are formed, for that is at this time extremely 

 tender, and will scarcely bear to be touched. It may be 

 proper to remark that this skin is usually removed with the 

 thumb and finger, but when it adheres so closely as to require 

 a knife to remove it, it will be well to let it remain, as the ap- 

 plication of a sharp instrument to the base of the bulb often- 

 times proves fatal. The action of the sun and air on the bulb, 

 after the skin is removed, is deleterious; it should therefore 

 be planted, and covered with soil as soon as practicable. 



It may be asked by some why the use of sand, usually ap- 

 plied to the roots, and almost universally recommended in the 

 works of foreign cultivators of the tulip, at the time of plant- 

 ing, has been discontinued? the answer is, that having the bed 

 well drained, and the soil properly prepared, sand is not ne- 

 cessary. But when the land lies low, and a good drainage 

 cannot be obtained, then sand may be used to advantage. In 

 this case, care should be taken that the sand be sweet and 

 clean; if it is made foul by the urine of dogs, cats, or any 

 other animal, it is unfit for the purpose, and would, if applied, 

 prove very injurious to the bulbs. Sand intended to be used 

 at the time of planting, and to be brought into immediate con- 

 tact with the plants, should be exposed to the sun and air 

 during the summer; it should be frequently turned over, and 

 kept free from impurities; that taken from a fresh water stream 

 is probably the best. 



As some amateurs may like to amuse themselves by em- 

 ploying their leisure moments in raising new varieties from 

 seed, the following hints are given for their use. 



RAISING TULIPS FROM THE SEED. 



The propagation of the tulip, by seed, is but little known, 

 and still less practised in this country. The Dutch and French 

 florists send their seedlings, which we call breeders, to Eng- 

 land, and other parts of the world, where they are cultivated 

 until they break, that is, change their color and prove new 

 varieties, of the variegated classes of roses, bizarres, and byb- 

 loemens, as the case may be. Probably only one in a hun- 

 dred, when so broken, will be named by the cultivator, and 

 after it is so named, the chances are as one to five hundred 

 that it will not prove equal to some of the old sorts, viz. Lou- 



VOL. VII. NO. V. 25 



