TULIPA. 



feathering at the edge : but it is unanimouny agreed, that 

 the tulip fhould abound in rich colouring, diftributed in a 

 diftintl and regular manner throughout the flower, except in 

 the bottom of the cup, which (hould indifputably be of a 

 clear bright white or yellow, free from (lain or tinge, in order 

 to coniiltute a perfeft flower. 



The colours which are generally held in the greateft efti- 

 mation in the variegated or ftriped forts of tulips, are the 

 blacks, the golden yellows, the purple violets, the rofe, and 

 the vermihon, each of which being varied in different ways ; 

 but fuch as are ftriped with three different colours, in a dif- 

 tinft and unmixed manner, with ftrong regular ftreaks, with 

 but little or no tinge at all of the breeder, are fuppofed the 

 moft perfeft. However, though it is extremely difficult to 

 meet with fuch as pofTefs all thefe eftimable properties of 

 good flowers of this fort, yet many are found which have 

 Uifficient perfeftion to become of high value as fine flowers. 

 The double and parrot tulips are, it is faid, held in no fort 

 of efteem among florifls. Among the iirft: fort, however, 

 there are many diftinft varieties, in fo far as regards the co- 

 louring of the flowers ; as the yellow-flowered, the yellow 

 and red-flowered, the white and red-ftriped, the white and 

 blufli-coloured, befides a great number of intermediate varie- 

 gations. And in the latter, thofe with long hooked petals of 

 flowers, coniifting of yellow-flowered, red-flowered, red- 

 ftriped, and other kinds. 



The fecond fpecies has the bulb ovate, and gibbous in the 

 fhape ; the ftem is quite fimple, nearly upright, round, 

 fmooth, leafy in the middle, and attenuated at the bafe, with 

 the flower always yellow in its colour, but a little greenifh on 

 the outfide. 



Afid it is further noticed, that it has moft of thefe cha- 

 rafters in common with the garden fpecies ; but the circum- 

 ftances that abundantly diftinguifh this fort are, the narrow 

 leaves, the nodding flower, the hairinefs at the bafe of the 

 ftamens and on the tips of the petals, and efpecially the fimple 

 obtufe form of the ftigma, which is totally different from 

 that of the garden tulip : the flower too is fragrant ; the 

 pollen yellow, not black ; and the anthers remarkably long. 

 But in the Flora Danica they are reprefented as fliort and 

 round. 



As this fort of tulip is of much inferior beauty to thofe 

 of the other and its feveral varieties, it is of courfe not nearly 

 fo much known and cultivated in flower-gardens, though it 

 was formerly held in confiderable eftimation by fome, before 

 the Turkey kind became fo very general ; and it is ftill to 

 be found in fome of the older gardens of this nature, and 

 is not undeferving of a place in thofe of the modern 

 ones, among the other forts of tulips and fpring flowers, 

 for the purpoie of its early blowing and increafmg the 

 variety- 



Method of Culture. — All the different forts of tulips may 

 be increafed by offsets from the roots, and by fowing feeds 

 to produce new varieties. The offsets fhould be feparated 

 from the old roots every year in June, efpecially for the fine 

 forts, on taking them up when the flowering is over, plant- 

 ing them in nurfery-beds, in rows fix inches apart, and to the 

 depth of three, four, or five in the beginning of autumn, to 

 remain for one or two years, until they attain the flowering 

 ftate, and are proper for being fet out regularly. They may 

 alfo, in the old root, be planted in beds, or in the borders or 

 other parts where they are to remain and blow, in patches of 

 four or five, placed regularly ; and to have a fucceffion, they 

 may be planted at different times ; they arc ufually planted 

 with a blunt dibble : the new roots fhould always be planted 

 by themfelves. 



In this way the moft approved forts are propagated and 

 Vol. XXXVI. 



continued always the fame, and the ftocks of any good va- 

 rieties multiphed and increafed as may be necefTary and con- 

 venient to the growers of them. 



The early and late forts fhould hkewife be each put in, in 

 places by themfelves ; and it is advifed that the roots of the 

 early-blowing kinds (hould be planted the beginning of Sep- 

 tember, in a warm border, near a wall, paling, or hedge ; 

 as, when they are put into an open fpot of ground, their 

 buds are in danger of fuffering by morning frofts in the 

 fpring. The foil for thefe fhould be renewed every year, 

 where it is intended to have them fair. The beft foil for 

 this purpofe is that which is taken from a light fandy paf- 

 ture, v^fith the turf rotted amongft it, and to this fhould be 

 added a fourth part of fea-fand. This mixture may be laid 

 about ten inches deep, which will be fufficient for thefe roots, 

 as they need not be planted more than four or five inches deep 

 at the moft. 



The offsets fliould not be planted amongft the blowing 

 roots, but in a border by themfelves, where they may be fee 

 pretty clofe together, efpecially when they arc fmall ; but 

 thefe fnould be taken up when their leaves decay, m the fame 

 manner as the blowing roots, otherwife they would rot if 

 the feafon (hould prove very wet, as they are not io hardy 

 as the late blowers, nor do they increafe half fo faft, fo that 

 more care is requifite to prelerve the offsets of them. 



When thefe forts come up in the fpring, the e-arth upon 

 the furface of the beds or borders fhould be gently ftirred and 

 cleared from weeds ; and as the buds appear, if the feafon 

 fhould prove very fevere, it will be of great fervice to cover 

 them with mats, for want of which many times they are 

 blighted, and their flowers decay before they blow, which is 

 often injurious to the roots, as is alfo the cropping of the 

 flowers foon after they are blown ; as their roots, which are 

 formed new every year, are not at that time arrived to their 

 full magnitude, and are of courfe deprived of proper nouriftl- 

 ment or fupport. 



When thefe flowers are blown, if the feafon fhould prove 

 very warm, it will be proper to fhade them with mats, &c. in 

 the heat of the day ; and when the nights are frofty, they 

 fhould be covered in the fame manner, by which means they 

 may be preferved a long time in beauty : but when their 

 flowers are decayed, and their feed-veffels begin to fwell, thr.y 

 fliould be broken off juft at the top of the ftalks, as whea 

 they are permitted to feed, it injures the roots greatly. 



In thefe forts, when the leavcsare decayed, which is ufually 

 before the late-blowers are out of flower, their roots fhould 

 be taken up, and fpread upon mats in a Ihady place to dry ; 

 after which they fhould be cleared from filth, and put in a 

 dry place where vermin cannot come to them, until the fea- 

 fon for planting them again, being very careful to prcferve 

 every fort feparate, that it may be known how to dii'pofe of 

 them at the time of planting. 



For this purpofe, it is a good method to have large flat 

 boxes made, which are divided into feveral parts by fmall 

 partitions, each of which is numbered the fame as the di- 

 vifions of the beds ; fo that when a catalogue of the roots 

 is made, and the numbers fixed to each fort ni the beds, no- 

 thing more is neceflary in taking the roots, but to put every 

 kind into the divifion marked with the fame number m the 

 bed. This faves a great deal of trouble in making frefh 

 marks every time the roots are taken up, and effedually 

 anfwers the purpofe of preferving the kinds feparate and 

 diftincl. 



In raifing thefe plants from feed, it is, from the time ot 



fowing, feven or eight years before they produce flowers ; 



and after all, they at firll appear only fingle-coloured, often 



requirmff two, three, or more years looger before they break 



* ^ 3 C "ito 



