124 The Tulip. 



1636, this spirit of floral gambling was carried to such excess 

 at Haarlem, that during three years it is said to have yielded 

 that city a sum not less than fifty millions of dollars, for tire 

 price of these bulbs rose higher than that of the most precious 

 metal. Sixteen, eighteen, and twenty-five thousand dollars was 

 no wonderful price for some single roots. We are told of a 

 person who possessed a very fine Tulip, but finding there was a 

 second root of the same kind in Haarlem, he repaired to that 

 place, which after having purchased, at an enormous price, he 

 placed on a flag-stone and pounded to a mummy with his foot, 

 exclaiming with exultation, "Noiv my Tulip is unique ! " The 

 Dutch government was at length obliged to issue a proclama- 

 tion to suppress the ruinous excess of the votaries of Flora. 

 In Paris it was equally extravagant, but more fleeting; the 

 troubles in England preventing the infection reaching that 

 country. 



As the Tulip is rarely propagated by seed in this country, we 

 shall briefly explain the nature of a breeder. It is a bulb which 

 has attained maturity, but is not too aged to have lost its vi^or, 

 and which is yet considered at its zenith in the eighth or ninth 

 year from the seed. When such a Tulip throws up a strong 

 tall stem, headed by large petals, blunt or rounded at the end ; 

 and if it be self-colored, or of one uniform equal color, on both 

 sides of the petals; or if the base be either pure white, or bright 

 yellow, and the anthers and stigma black or very dark, it is ac- 

 counted a breeder of first rate qualities ; and the bulb of such a 

 breeder is planted deeper than usual in a sheltered and sunny 

 situation, and the greatest care taken to prevent its leaves from 

 being injured by wind or hail; the stem is tied to a stake, 

 the corollas protected from the scorching rays of the sun as from 

 the rain, and the perfecting of the capsule encouraged ; the seeds 

 are carefully gathered when ripe, and from these seeds, in the 

 course of years, many fine varieties of flowers are expected, 

 partaking of the fundamental good properties of the breeder. 

 When the self-color of the petals of a breeder begins to break, 

 the bulb is regarded as past its highest vigor, and no judicious 

 florist will ever use it, but cut off the capsules as soon as the 

 flowers have decayed, to prevent an unnecessary expenditure 

 of the juices of the bulbs. 



The criterion of a perfect Tulip of the late flowering kind is, 



