15'2 JOURNAL OK THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



once were good, and may recover their early glories. Still the advice 

 I would give a beginner is to stick as much as his human nature will let 

 him to a few good sorts, and not to be tempted to tun after others by 

 their occasional appearance in first-class form at a show, Above all he 

 should aim at getting good ''strains;" despite the inconstancy of the 

 flower, a bulb which has bloomed fine is the more likely to do it again 

 and throw offsets of the same quality. As his numbers increase he can 

 keep weeding out the bulbs growing poorly marked blooms, especially 

 it they come in bad character two or more years in succession, and 

 replacing them with offsets grown on from his best stock. Hut while 

 numbers are small, it is a good plan to have a waste bed in some out-of- 

 the-way part of the garden, and give the cast-offs a year or two there 

 before they are finally rejected. A little starvation and exposure have 

 sometimes a marvellously refining influence. In the following list only 

 really first-rate varieties are mentioned, which can be readily obtained 

 cither from the trade or the members of the Tulip Society; and many 

 good ones are omitted either as being insufficiently tested, or scarce and 

 difficult to obtain. The flamed flowers are by far the most satisfactory 

 class, and most of the following can be trusted to come practically 

 perfect every year : Bizarres — ' Samuel Barlow,' ' Sir Joseph Paxton,' 

 and 'Dr. Hardy;' Bybloemen 'Talisman,' 'George Edward,' and 

 'Chancellor'; Roses — 'Annie McGregor,' 'Mabel,' and * Aglaia.' 

 Feathered Mowers are difficult to secure, especially feathered Roses, but 

 the following are perhaps the best : Bizarres — ' Sir Joseph Paxton,' 

 ' Masterpiece,' and 'Lord Frederick Cavendish'; Bybloemen — 'Bessie,' 

 'Elizabeth Pegg,' and 'Talisman'; Jioses — ' Mabel ' and 'Modesty.' 

 (lood breeders are more abundant, but on some soils it is hard to keep up 

 a stock of them, so readily do they break ; Bizarres — 1 Sir Joseph 

 Paxton,' ' (loldfinder,' and 'Sulphur'; Bybloemen — ' Glory of Stake- 

 hill,' ' Adonis,' ' Elizabeth Pegg ' ; Boses — ' Annie McGregor,' 1 Mrs. 

 Harlow,' ' Rose Hill,' and * Loveliness.' The following description of the 

 above varieties may be useful ; for details of other varieties Mr. Bentley's 

 list, before referred to, should be consulted. 



Bizarres. 



' Dr. Hardy. ,' — A beautifully marked and very constant red-flamed 

 Bizarre ; the petals are broad, smooth, and of good substance ; the 

 base is large and a fine orange-yellow, the marking colour is a 

 bright red-brown, so that a well-grown specimen has a glow and 

 brilliancy that is still almost unrivalled. It rarely makes a good feathered 

 flower, and is very scarce in the breeder state. The shape is excellent 

 and lasts well. Vigorous and plentiful. (Fig. 51.) 



' (roldfinder ' is a beautiful scarlet breeder, excellent in shape and 

 superb in colour. Unfortunately it breaks very readily, and is then 

 invariably worthless. The most brilliant of all the breeders. 



1 Lord Frederick ( '<< rend i.s/t.' — The petals are rather long and pointed, 

 and weak in substance. When in condition this variety makes a fine 

 red feathered Bizarre, though the feathering is rather " plated," and lacks 

 quality. It is inconstant and worthless as a fhuned flower, and should 

 not be grown strong. 



