THE ENGLISH OK FLORIST'S TULIP. 



flamed respectively: they and the x refer to the nature and degree of 

 excellence attained hy the flower in tlx; previous Season, and arc extracted 

 from the former " hook " just as the comment on the right-hand side, 

 inserted when the flowers bloom, will he transferred to the next hook. 



Thus 4 'Talisman' fld. 114/8 x x x x signifies that in the previous 

 season this hulh of 'Talisman,' then planted third in row 114, gave; a very 

 superior flamed hloom. The further record shows that this season it had 

 split into two bulbs, one of which, the northernmost of the two, was 

 heavy in colour ; whilst the one to the south maintained the excellent 

 marking. 



The old growers took the greatest pains to arrange; their beds, so 

 that the three classes came in regular succession, and the heights were 



Fig. ;jH. PiSTALi 01 Fi.amkjj F&OWSBS. 



graduated to bring the tallest flowers in the centre; of the bed. The effect 

 of the whole bed is certainly richer on this plan, but I find it convenient to 

 grow each variety in a block. This facilitates the selection of blooms to 

 cut for exhibition, and makes it easier to arrange that certain sorts shall 

 have poorer or richer soil, extra shade or sunshine, according to their 

 constitution. After planting, the heds are left without shelter or pro 

 tection of any kind until April. The shoots generally peep through 

 early in February, and as soon as they can be seen and the state of the 

 soil permits, the surface is stirred with a pointed stick, or a narrow hoe 

 is worked carefully between the rows. I like to repeat this shallow 

 cultivation whenever the surface gets at all caked by drying after rain ; 

 some growers also draw the earth up by hand round the sterns of the 

 Tulips in April. In very dry springs a good watering may be necessary 

 in April or early in May. 



