THE FLORISTS' TULIP— PECULIAR FEATURES. 



"7 



exception of the base, which, as above mentioned, is white in the Eoses and Byblcemens, 

 yellow in the Bizarres. 



"When they "break," as the change is called, the colour of the base extends on to 

 the petals, what was formerly the colouring of those forming the flaming or feathering. 

 The flowers are then rectified. Breeder tulips arc often very beautiful, and are highly 

 effective in gardens in May. A strain of these has been introduced from Holland under 

 the name of "Darwin" tulips, but these, though imposing in masses, lack the refinement 

 of the English varieties. 



Various plans have been tried to induce the tulip to " break," but no one can say con- 

 fidently that any of these will produce the desired result : they remain in the self-coloured 

 or breeder stage for ten or more years, but once they break into flame or feathers of colour, 

 these are permanent and the flowers never revert to the original stage. It is this wonder- 

 ful feature and mysterious change, found in no other flower, that render the tulip so in- 

 teresting to its admirers. Flowers which " break " badly marked ought to be discarded. 



In a " feathered " tulip the marking is confined to the edges of the petals ; in some 

 this is very narrow and in others much broader. A "plated" feather is "laid on" 

 densely and ends abruptly on the lower edge. A "pencilled" feather — which is more 

 valued — "terminates in slender streaks." The feathering, according to Mr. Bentley, 

 ought to be " laid on evenly and without breaks throughout its whole extent, termi- 

 nating gradually and imperceptibly on the lateral margins of every petal alike, at a 

 point not nearer the stem than the commencement of the base." The breadth of the 

 feather must not be more than one-fourth of the length of the petal. When there is a 

 break in the line of feathering it is called a " skip." The perfect flower should 

 have its ground colour pure and clear, without mark except the feathering already 

 described (see Fig. 57, next page). 



The "flamed " tulip, in addition to the feather, has a coloured " beam " running up 

 the centre of each petal. This "beam" is of many different forms, the extremes being 

 a narrow stripe running from the base to nearly the top of the petal, and a pyramidal 

 form having its broader part nearly covering the petal at the base and having its apex 

 gradually running into the feather. The best flamed flowers have the beam of the latter 

 form with the centre uncoloured by the ground, and gradually sending out narrow streaks 

 at the sides and top to connect with the feather. A flower with too much marking is 

 called " heavy " ; one showing too much of the ground colour being said to be " light." 

 It must be observed that these remarks apply to the inside of the flower. 



