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PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS 



N.W. America ; Libanotica, bronze and 

 olive. Syria ; LiUacea, white outside, 

 green within. Cahfornia ; Lusitanica, 

 soft yellow. Portugal; Meleagroides, 

 dark purple. Altai Mts. ; Oranensis, 

 bright purple and yellow. Algiers ; 

 Pontica, yellow-green flushed rose, green- 

 spotted inside. Asia Minor ; Pyrenmca, 

 deep purple, yellow inside. Pyrenees ; 

 Saddeana, greenish - yellow like im- 

 perialis. Central Asia ; ButJienica, deep 

 violet-purple. Caucasus ; Tenella, yellow- 

 ish, chequered purple-brown. Europe ; 

 Thunbergi, white. Japan; Twlipifolia, 

 glaucous -blue. Kurdistan; Verticillata, 

 whitish-green, spotted purple inside. 

 Siberia; Whittalli, golden-yellow. Asia 

 Minor; Zagrica, lurid purple, glaucous 

 outside. Persia. 



TULIPA (Tulip).— A genus of beauti- 

 ful and easily recognised plants having 

 tuiiicated brown-skinned bulbs, broad or 

 linear leaves, and simple erect scapes end- 

 ing in one, or rarely 2-3 erect or very 

 rarely nodding flowers. The bell-shaped, 

 cup-like, or somewhat funnel-shaped peri- 

 anth consists of 6 distinct more or less 

 highly coloured segments, quite free and 

 arranged in 2 circles of 3 each. Stamens 6, 

 hypogynous, shorter than the segments. 

 Stigma sessile, 3-lobed. Capsule 3-celled, 

 many-seeded. 



The Tulip is without doubt one of the 

 best and most brilliant flowers for the 

 hardy flower garden during the spring 

 and early summer months. Some of the 

 sorts begin to bloom as the last of the 

 earlier Daffodils are disappearing, and it is 

 often well into May and June before the last 

 Tulip begins to fade. The garden forms, 

 especially the clear self-coloured ones, 

 are so rich, brilliant, and diverse in colour 

 that they should be grown in as large 

 quantities as space will allow. Tens of 

 thousands of bulbs can now be purchased 

 for the same price that was often willingly 

 given for a single bulb in the days of the 

 Tulip craze in the 17th century — a 

 craze that eventually ruined many who 

 trafficked in Tulips as if they were stocks 

 and shares, and who really oared little or 

 nothing for their natural beauty. The 

 individual blooms last a long time in 

 perfection, and are valuable for cutting 

 for floral decorations &c. They are 

 always best cut early in the morning 

 before the sun causes them to expand, and 

 when the petals are more or less con- 



tracted into a point. This is only a detail, 

 but it is an important one where a large 

 number of cut flowers are used. 



Culture and Propagation. — Tulips 

 flourish in all good garden soils rich in 

 humus and well-drained. Fresh manure 

 should be avoided, and if the beds are 

 raised drainage will be improved. The 

 bulbs may be planted about 4-6 in. deep, 

 and as far apart. From the end of 

 September to November is the best time 

 for planting. The bulbs may be inserted 

 in holes made with a bluntish dibber that , 

 will not go beyond the depth required, or 

 open drills may be drawn, and covered in 

 after planting. 



Although a patch of mixed Tuhps looks 

 very handsome owing to the various 

 colours, on the whole finer effects are 

 obtained by keeping each variety by itself. 

 Some have long stems and some short, 

 while others are intermediate in height, 

 and it planted without regard to this fact 

 the result is uneven and defective. Two 

 or even three kinds may be used in the 

 same bed, and where known, the taller 

 stemmed kinds should be planted in the 

 centre and the shorter near the edge. In 

 the case of mixed varieties it is a safe rule 

 to plant the largest and finest bulbs in the 

 centre, as they are most likely to throw up 

 tall vigorous scapes. 



Warm sunny situations sheltered from 

 violent winds and from the north and 

 east are the best for Tulips, but otherwise 

 they like an open airy place. They should 

 never be planted under trees, near walls, 

 or in deep shade. After planting the soil 

 may be covered with such plants as 

 Forget - me - not, SUene, Polyanthuses, 

 Primroses, Pansies and Violets, mossy 

 Saxifrages, but if the bulbs are not put 

 into the ground until the end of Novem- 

 ber it will be rather too late to move some 

 of these, especially if the weather is un- 

 favourable. A top-dressing of well-rotted 

 manure in winter will benefit the bulbs 

 and keep the ground free from weeds. 

 Where this is considered too unsightly, a 

 layer of coco-nut fibre will give the Tulip 

 beds a neat clean appearance, and make 

 an excellent baokgromid for the flowers 

 and foliage later on. 



Tulips may be increased by offsets and 

 seeds. Some kinds seldom or never pro- 

 duce offsets, and in such cases seeds alone 

 if obtainable must be usedto increase the 

 stock. 



As the vegetation of a Tulip differs 



