378 



JQUBNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



[ November 2, 1876. 



catalogued three roots at one hundred guineas each, and many 

 at ten and fifty guineas eaoh. It is not to be expected that 

 such prices will be given for single roots of Talips again, nor is 

 it desirable either in the interest of the trade or private growers 

 that it should be so. A point that ought not to be overlooked 

 is tb.9 fact that Talips flower at a time when the flower garden 

 is in a transition state, the spring bedding is over or nearly 

 so, and the beds are being again dag and planted for the 

 Bea>on. While this sort of work is going on the proprietor of 

 a bed of Talips oan b9 enjoying ths rich and varied colouring 

 of the flowers, and there is such a wealth of variety in the 

 white and yellow grounds, with rose, cherry, violet, purple, 

 chocolate brown, and nearly black flame or feather, as cannot 

 be found in any other flowers. Farther, there is very little 

 trouble with them; the beds can be made up and planted at 

 a time when work is not pressing, and they require but little 

 attention afterwards. Fashion has had much to do with th9 

 decline of the Tulip. First of all was the rage for the geo- 

 metrically arranged flower gardens. Lawns were cut and tor- 

 tured into all manner of fantastic shapes to form beds of 

 various patterns and elaborate designs. Princely and ducal 

 mansions have their magnificent flower gardens, and the 

 owner of a small grass plot 10 feet square seeks to imitate 

 thsm by having beds of Pelargoniums, Verbenas, edgings of 

 Feverfew, and Chickweeds, lines of Beet, and curiously inlaid 

 beds of Houseleeks, Sednms, and what not. The spring bedding 

 is now also a further strain on the energies of the sorely-tiisd 

 gardener. In ray boyish days every garden had its bed of show 

 Piinsies; but there are no Pansies, no Heartsease now. Th6y 

 are all Violas, and you must not admire the beauty of a single 

 flower, you must look at the mass. The first question is, 

 What sort of bed does it make ? It must be a mass of yellow, 

 indigo, black, or white ; it muss be a decided colour. That is 

 the point. White and yellow-ground Heartseases will not do. 

 Now, far be it from me to eay a single word to discourage any 

 style of gardening ; it is all beautiful in its place, bat it is a 

 great pity that the rage for gaudy colours and largo masses of 

 flowers should drive such noble flowers as the Tulip out of 

 cultivation. 



Auother reason that many persons do not grow Tulips is 

 that horticultural societies do not encourage thera. Now, ail 

 the great metropolitan horticultural societies have exhibitions 

 just at the time when the Tulip is in its glory — that is, from 

 the middle to the end of May, but none of them think it worth 

 while to devote a class in the schedule to Talips. This i3 not 

 quite as it should be. Societies such as the Boyal Horti- 

 cultural and Boyal Botanic should not offer prizes for flowers 

 merely because they are popular, but more because of their 

 intrinsic merit. Offering prizes for flower3 does not make 

 them any better, but it certainly increases the interest one 

 takes in them. Note, for instance, the Carnation and Picotee. 

 What a fine bank of flowers was shown at South Kensington 

 this year ! and I know at least thre3 mere growers in the 

 neighbourhood of London who intend entering on their culture 

 this year; they would not have thought of it had there not been 

 prizes at the exhibitions. The Metropolitan Floral Society 

 had a noble work to perform, but owing to some cause or 

 other its members do not pall well together, and nothing has 

 been done during the past year. There is a worthy band of 

 true-hearted florists in the north, and thay are willing to 

 fraternise with their brethren in the south. When visiting 

 amongst them only last August I found that all the principal 

 Aurionla-growers were willing to hold the National Auricula 

 Exhibition in London next year. That is giving us the right 

 hand of fellowship with a wiil, and it is for the southern 

 growers to make all the arrangements and give thorn a most 

 hearty welcome. It is incorrect to say that a date cannot be 

 arranged to suit the northern and southern growers, for I find 

 by referring to the Journal reports that the "National" for two 

 years in succession was held on the last Tuesday in April, and 

 ihe Metropolitan Floral Society held theirs both seasons on 

 the following Wednesday. But this is a subject which must 

 ■be entered into more fully on another ocoasion. 



Yet it must not be supposed that the Tulip has gone out of 

 •cultivation altogether. There are many growers and there is 

 sliio a National Society for its encouragement, and an exhi- 

 bition is held every year in the north. Mr. C. Turner of 

 Slough still grows a large collection for tho purpose of trade, 

 and his beds when in fall flower are a splendid sight. Let ns 

 hope that a bed of Tulips may be soon seen in many gardens, 

 even if the bedding-out should be curtailed to make room for 

 it. It ought also to be known that when tho Tulip bulbs are 



dug up there is time for a bed of Asters, Stocks, or even bed- 

 ding plants on the same ground. 



As it is now time to prepare the beds and to plant-out the 

 Tulip bulbs a few remarks may be useful to some readers of 

 this Journal. I was taught at school that the Tulip " asketh 

 a rich soil and the careful hand of the gardener." A rich soil 

 is provided by trenching the ground to the depth of at least 

 2 feet and working-in plenty of rich manure. But to grow the 

 Tulip well the bulbs ought not to come in contact with ordinary 

 garden soil nor with the manure. Some sandy maiden loam 

 should be placed around the bulbs, and they must be planted 

 according to method. 



The Tulip is divided into three classes, each of which is 

 subdivided into two — namely, Bizarre, Byblcemen, and Bose. 

 " When the stripes of colour descend from the top edges of 

 the petals two-thirds of the way down the middle towards the 

 bottom " the flowers are flamed. " When the colouring is 

 finely pencilled round the margin of the petals" they are 

 feathered : the ground colour must be either pure whitG or 

 yellow. In planting the bed the colours and heights must be 

 judiciously arranged. There ought to be seven rows in a bed, 

 and planted 9 inches apart in the following manner, the centre 

 row being the tallest : — 



1234 56 7 8 910 



Eos9 Byb. Biz. Bose Byb. Biz. Rose Byb. Biz. Bose 



Byb. Biz. Bos9 Byb. Biz. Bose Byb. Biz. Bose Byb. 



Biz. Bosa Byb. Biz. Bose Byb. Biz. Boss Byb. Biz. 



Bose Byb. Biz. Bose Byb. Biz. Bose Byb. Biz. Bose 



Bjb. Biz. Bose Byb. Biz. Bose Byb. Biz. Bose Byb. 



Biz. Bose Byb. Biz. Bose Byb. Biz. Bosa Byb. Biz. 



Bose Byb. Biz. Boss Byb. Biz. Bose Byb. Biz. Bose 



The bulbs when planted should be about 3 inches below the 

 surface, and it is sometimes desirable to place a little river 

 sand around them. To preserve the Tulip bloom for as long 

 a period as possible, a canvas awning must be ereoted over 

 tho beds to preserve the flowers from frosts and dashing rains. 

 The varieties of the Tulip are very numerous, and but little 

 has been done during the last few years in the way of intro- 

 ducing new sorts. Nearly all the varieties can be obtained at 

 a cheap rate. The following are superior sorts : — 



Bizarres : Caliph (Gibbons), Dr. Horner (Groom), Duke of 

 Devonshire (Dickson), George Hayward (Lawrence), Glory of 

 Abingdon (Pitman), Henry Groom (Groom), Everard (Bowler), 

 King (Willison), Mr. F. Perkins (Groom), Dr. Hardy (Storer), 

 Marquis of Bristol (Groom), Lord Raglan (Groom), Pactolus 

 (Headly), Polyphemus (Lawrence), J. B. Scrivener (Lawrence), 

 Sir J. Paxton (Willison), Owen Glendower (Sanders), Vivid 

 (Sanders), Uncle Tom (Willison), Sphynx (Sanders). 



B y bitumens : Adonis (Headly), Blomart, or Mrs. Siddon's 

 Clauds (Strong), Clara (Storer), Chancellor (Battersby), 

 Duches3 of Cambridge (Groom), Dacheas of Sutherland 

 (Walker), Gem of Gems (Willison), John Kemble (Goldham), 

 Lord Denman (Abbott), Maid of Orleans (Gibbon), NoraCreiaa 

 (Lyde), Queen (Butley),Qaesn of the North (Hepworth), Rachel 

 Ruieh (Rutley), Victoria Begina (Groom), Violet (Alexander). 



Roses: Aglaia (Lawrence), Arlette (Dixon), Baron Girsdorff 

 Camuse de Craix, Duchess of Sutherland (Gibbons), Fanny 

 Ellsier (Goldham), Gem (Goldham), Heroine, Kate Connor, 

 and Lady Stanley (Gibbon), Maid of Falaise (Dixon), Mary 

 Headly (Headly), Monntain.Sylph (Headly), Magnificent (Hay- 

 ward), Naomi (Headly), Bose Camuse, Bose Celestial (Barlow), 

 Sarah Headly (Headly), Triumph Boyal, and Vicar of Radford. 



Some of the leading exhibition flowers shown at Manchester 

 are — Bizarres : George Hayward, Masterpiece, Ajax, Demos- 

 thenes, and Sir J. Paxton. Byblccmens : Adonis, Violet Aimable, 

 Talisman, Mr. Pickerell, Duchess of Sutherland, and Lord 

 Dsnsion. Amongst Roses the best are Industry, Mabel, Mrs. 

 Lea, Aglaia, Triumph Boyal, La Van Decken, Mrs. Lomax, 

 Lady Sefton, and Lady Catherine Gordon. — J. Douglas. 



EABLT APPLES. 



Is writing this short note I do not propose to offer any 

 opinion of the sorts which have been recently named in your 

 columns, but to mention an early Apple which only requires 

 to be known to be appreciated. It is " Early Joe," an Apple 

 which, according to Dr. Hogg, is of American origin. I pro- 

 cured a bush tree of it on the Paradise stock for trial some 

 years ago from MeEsrs. Bivers of Sawbridgeworth, and it has 

 fruited abundantly with me every year. The fruit is very 

 handsome, a true dessert Apple in size, form, and quality. It 

 does not keep long, and like most summer Apples it is best 

 ! eaten off the tree. I observe that in the " Fruit Manual " it 



