CHAPTER 27 



TULIPS (Tulipa suaveolens gesneriana) 



Cultural Considerations. Indoor tulips are grown 

 in much the same way as hyacinths (see p. 266). As 

 blossoms appear, they should be put under partial 

 shade. The petals are very delicate and are subject 

 to burning or wilting when exposed to direct sun- 

 light. 



Diseases of the Tulip 

 Tulips are subject to few but serious diseases. 



Blindness 



Cause, unknown. 



Blindness in tulips is a trouble which results in 

 a failure of apparently normal bulbs to produce 

 flowers (fig. 72, a.). A blind tulip is distinguished 

 from a normal plant by having a leaf scale only. 

 This condition is prevalent where bulbs of small size 

 are used. The cause of blindness, which is being in- 

 vestigated by Stout,* is still undiscovered. Tulip 

 bulbs which have bloomed well the previous year 

 may become blind the second season. These same 

 bulbs, however, may again bloom the third season. 



♦Stout, A. B., Jour. Hort. Soc. of New York 2: 201-206, 1917. 



348 



