TULIPA. 



width between tliem : the top or furface of each bed 

 teing raked quite even and fniooth, in order for the bulbs 

 or roots being put into it. 



When they are in this ftate of readinefs for being planted, 

 a dry day is to be felefted for fetting out or planting the 

 bulbs or roots, which is to be done in rows, either in the 

 bedding method, driUing in rows, or that of dibble-planting, 

 a blunt-edged inftrument being employed in the laft, by 

 way of making the holes for the bulbs as fufficiently wide 

 below as above, and perfeftly clean quite to the bottom, 

 making out the lines lengthways of the beds at eight or 

 nine inches diftance from each other, the roots being then 

 fet in fingly to the depth of three or four inches, and at 

 the diftance of fix from each other in the lines. The work 

 of planting being thus finifhed, the upper parts of the beds 

 are to be raked even and fmooth, which completes the 

 whole. 



The tulips intended for the open borders may either be 

 planted in a regulai- Hne at a foot or eighteen inches diftant 

 from the edge, irregularly along it, or be difpofed in feparate 

 fmall patches and clumps of three or four roots together in 

 each, occupying fpaces of about eight inches, fome of 

 which being placed more forwards, and others backwards, 

 in order to afford greater diverfity and variety. 



When the old roots or bulbs have been thus planted out 

 in the autumn, as they bear the winter well, nothing farther 

 is required in their culture until the vernal and fummer 

 months, when they fhould be preferved in quite a clean 

 ftate of growth, and in fome cafes the buds of the more 

 choice forts in the beds be (heltered and guarded from cold 

 and fevere weather in the nigtits, and at fome other times 

 by mats, fupported archways on hoops, or other convenient 

 means, though this is feldom abfolutely neceflary ; or when 

 the bedded forts are come into flov^rer, to preferve their 

 beauty and duration, to (hade and fcreen them from the 

 excefiive noontide fun, heavy rains, and ftormy winds, by an 

 awning of canvas or mats raifed acrofs the beds, and, in 

 fome inftances, formed in a tent -like manner, in order to 

 walk under and view the flowers at pleafure ; but the 

 flowers will blow in great perfeftion without thefe cover- 

 ings and trouble, only by means of them thefe fine forts will 

 blow and continue for a longer time in full beauty than 

 would be the cafe if they were openly expofed. However, 

 as foon as ever the flowers begin to fade, all fuch coverings 

 fhould be carefully removed, in order to permit a free cir- 

 culation of air, and have the full influence of rains, dews, 

 &c. for the nouriftiment and fupport of the root-bulbs. 

 But when the flowering is quite paft, and the flowers begin 

 to die away, it is neceffary and proper to cut off^ the heads 

 or feed-veflels, efpecially of the fine forts and varieties, that 

 the roots may not be deprived of the proper quantity of 

 nutriment for their full and perfeft growth. 



And in the middle of fummer, when they are at reft, or 

 have ceafed growing, and the flower-ftems and other parts 

 are quite decayed, it is time to lift or take up the old bulbs 

 or roots, which fliould be done for the moft part every year 

 for the fine forts, and every other year for the other kinds, 

 not only for the purpofe of feparating the fuckers or young 

 bulbs, but alfo for preferving both them and the old ones 

 without any fort of growth out of the ground until the 

 autumn, which is the time of planting them again in frefli 

 or newly prepared beds for the future year's bloom. At 

 this period, therefore, when the weather is dry, the work of 

 lifting or taking them up fliould be begun, which fhould 

 be done with a garden-trowel, as being the beft and eafieft 

 method, digging them up fingly in a perfeft and careful 

 manner ; and afterwards fpreading them out in a (hady, dry, 



airy place, where they may remain for a few weeks, without 

 being afted upon by the fun or wet, and then become gra- 

 dually dry and hardened ; when the fuckers or young bulbs, 

 the adhering earth, and the outer decayed fliins or huflcs, 

 fliould be taken away and removed from them, after which 

 both the old and the young offset bulbs fhould be again 

 expofed to further drying, and more effeftual hardening, 

 in the fame or other more proper fituation, and be ulti- 

 mately put fafely into fome dry receptacle feparately, to 

 be kept until the proper feafon of planting them out 

 again takes place. Each fort of bulbs fliould be planted 

 out in a feparate manner, as already noticed. See Bulb and 

 Root. 



It may be remarked, that although the tulip may be faid 

 to be a plant of the perennial kind, yet that after the bulb 

 of it has arrived at the flowering ftate or ftage, the fame in- 

 dividual old root or bulb does not always remain and con- 

 tinue to flower anew, but gradually wears or waftes away, as 

 is evident by its remains at the lifting feafon ; but pre- 

 vioufly to its diflblution it affords from its fides a new fupply 

 of fuckers or young bulbs, which perpetuate the kind, one 

 of which, being large and fimilar to the parent bulb, is 

 capable of flowering equally ftrong for the fucceeding year • 

 fo that at the end of many years, that which is often fup- 

 pofed to be the fame individual bulb, is in reahty in every 

 way another, or new one. In common, it is, however, 

 termed the old bulb or root, by thofe who are unacquainted 

 with the nature of fuch roots. 



All the forts and varieties of the tuhp have flowers, 

 which are fucceeded by plenty of ripe feed in the later 

 fummer months, that is contained in the cells of an oblong 

 capfule, the different feeds being placed on each other in 

 double rows. 



In order to fave good feed, fome heads of the beft and 

 ftouteft plants of each fort fliould be felefted and left in a 

 proper fituation to ftand until they become in a perfeftly 

 ripe ftate, which is eafily known by the ftems taking on a 

 fine hard dry appearance, and the parts containing the feeds 

 opening themfelves, when they fhould be cut away, and the 

 feed be taken out, and wrapt up carefully, or left to remain 

 in them until the time of its being fown, preferving it in 

 either way quite dry and free from any thing of a mouldy 

 nature. 



In order to promote the acquifition of the vaft and wonder- 

 ful diverfity of colouring which often takes place in tulips, 

 and which, in many inftances, is effefted in a great meafure by 

 nature only, the natural procefs is fometimes greatly alfifted 

 and expedited by means of proper culture and manai.';ement. 

 Thus, in the firft place, when the young feedling bulbs of 

 the whole blower or breeder have reached the full fize, and 

 have flowered once, by tranfplanting or removing them into 

 beds of any fort of weak, poor, unfruitful earths, which, 

 by their want of nutrient properties, may check and rcftrain 

 the natural luxuriant tendency of the plants, and ii.ducc 

 a weak enfeebled general growtli, a change may be gra- 

 dually produced in their general ftate, whereby they may 

 break out into new variegations in the firft, fecond, or third 

 years. And accordingly, as this happens, they fliould be 

 planted out into beds of good earth, as has been direfted 

 above. 



Another means of affifting nature in accomplifliing this 

 objeft is, that of making as great a change in the quality of 

 the foil as poffible, as if they were this year planted in a weak 

 poor fort of earth, they fliould in the following be fet out 

 in a highly rich garden mould, and afterwards in a compoft 

 of feveral forts of earth : or they may be removed and 

 tranfplanted from one part of a garden to another ; and 

 3 C 2 in'o 



