New Plan of breaking Tulips. 45 



formed, is at the same time extremely ingenious and scientific, 

 and, I believe, perfectly agreeable to the laws of nature, by a 

 reference to their particular operation and effect upon certain 

 other subjects, both as regards plants and animals, though 

 not perhaps on the same principle exactly. Nothing has 

 wearied and exhausted a florist's patience more than the 

 stubbornness of these breeders, which he puts in the ground 

 year after year iii hope, and digs up again in disappointment. 



All the means and contrivances, that could be well devised, 

 have been resorted to, for years in Holland, France, and Flan- 

 ders, as well as here, to effect this desired object, but with very 

 little or no success ; such as change of air and situation ; the 

 use and change of different kinds of soils, &c. Some 

 breeders, it is well known, have been planted for twenty years 

 successively, and have evinced no change. Now then, if a 

 plain single colour is natural and peculiar to the tulip, on its 

 first production from seed ; and if its variegation is the effect 

 of disease, as some naturalists contend, without explaining 

 the cause ; which disease, though it impairs not the health, 

 yet adds to its beauty ; the merit and the object of this newly- 

 discovered process is, to impart that disease or variegation to 

 the tulip with a certainty, which before was the effect merely 

 of chance. I am not prepared to contend, that the black- 

 amoor's skin can be changed in one dip, as it were by en- 

 chantment, or other miraculous power ; or that it will be 

 completely changed by a single application, which can only 

 take place once a year, when the tulips are in flower ; but I 

 have no hesitation in saying, according to my friend's tes- 

 timony, that the plain self colour of the cup will be shaken 

 the first year, and the appearance of streaks, and variegation 

 taking place will be fully manifest thereon. On the second 

 and third year you will have a right to expect, that the finely 

 variegated tulip, perfect in all its lines, streaks and feathered 

 bordering, will present itself to your view. This plan like- 

 wise claims the faculty of restoring foul flowers to their true 

 colours. 



I have also further to observe, on the statement of this 

 gentleman, who has confided to me the secret, to make what 

 use I please of it, and which he hit upon two years ago last 

 May, that he has broken more tulips into colour, in this 

 short space of time, than he has done in thirty years before ; 

 during which long period he has been an ardent cultivator of 

 this bewitching flower; and though his pursuit of the 

 " fancy" had never languished, yet he finds, that this lucky 

 incident has given to it additional interest and incitement; 



