THE ENGLISH OR FLORIST'S TULIP. 



151 



refined bloom. All the Hame, the inconstancy of the Tulip is one of its 

 defects ; one cannot count on any variety coining good year after year, 

 as one can with Auriculas or Carnations, or even Roses. Still, many of 

 the best varieties are pretty constant, and in time one may reckon on 

 breeding out this tendency to variation in the wrong direction. 



Yauikties. 



An immense number of varieties of the English Tulip have been 

 raised from time to time, and are still grown. Mr. Hentley's catalogue, 

 published in 1H ( J4 5, contained descriptions of something like 500 varieties. 

 Many of these are indeed obsolete, but I find that I am growing 

 about 150 varieties, exclusive of seedlings. But the novice who wants 



A B 

 Fw. 54. — Feathzbsl Plowkss. (A) '611 Josepb Paitov,! (B) ' BtLttrxitHBCB*' 



to form a collection for show purposes oz for pleasure should not burden 

 himself with anything like these numbers ; the really first-rate ones are 

 few in number, and a better result for all purposes can be obtained by 

 growing only the best in quantity, than by the search after variety or 

 varieties. It is the inconstancy of the Tulip, and particularly of the 

 feathered sorts, which keeps so many varieties in cultivation ; the fancy 

 abounds with kinds which occasionally come beautifully feathered, which 

 are always promising and very rarely performing, and which stave oil* the 

 execution they deserve;, by now and then producing a flower of supreme 

 excellence. This is seen and admired, others beg or buy the sort, and 

 are thus in their turn lured into cumbering their beds with a needless 

 variety. Varieties too grow old, and seem to lose something of the 

 habit of producing "feathers," so that many are grown because they 



