THE FLORIST'S TULIP. 



103 



A " feathered " Tulip is one in which the colouring is laid on 

 in various and beautiful styles of feathering or pencilling round 

 the edge only of each petal. The term is very descriptive of the 

 light and graceful effect produced. The "feather" must not 

 break off, or " skip," anywhere round the petal edge before it 

 naturally ceases near the base of the flower. In lightly feathered 

 flowers it is apt to be a trial for the pencilling to get safely round 

 the petal top ; and a slight beam of colour, descending a little 

 down the petal centre from the top, is both allowable and helpful, 

 as a kind of keystone to the arch of colour, strengthening it at 

 the most critical point. Any stray dash of colour upon the 

 main body of the petal is a fault according to its size or fre- 

 quency ; but a perfectly feathered flower, with a little colour in 

 the wrong place, would rank higher than one with a spotless 

 petal, but with a " skip " in the feather. 



The character of marking known as " flamed " is of a much 

 bolder and more figured type. It embraces all that the feathered 

 form has, and something more. The "flamed" Tulip, in addition 

 to perfect feathering round the petal edge, is endowed with strong- 

 beams or flames and flashes of colour springing from near the 

 base, and striking boldly up the centre and towards the edge of 

 each petal. Hence, again, the descriptive term applied to it — as 

 if of a colour on fire. Where the feathering has long lashes, and 

 the flame sharp tongues, the extremities of these strike and 

 blend ; but both flame and feather must allow room for sufficient 

 of the ground colour to be left pure and clear between them, 

 otherwise the flower is "heavy," with an overloaded look about 

 it. There are endless mixtures of these two types of colouring. 

 A good Tulip will sometimes perpetrate them, and is then said to 

 be "out of character." Oftentimes bulbs of a sterling variety 

 never produce flowers in good character, and these are known as 

 " bad strains," and their high name goes for nothing, and they 

 are dealt with accordingly. 



Both pure styles of marking are very highly esteemed. 



I know not which is sweeter ; no, not I ! 



At first sight, the lovely and delicate " feather " may be the more 

 attractive ; it must appear so tender in touch, so spotless, so 

 refined. In the flamed state, a few flashes more or less may 

 not be so easily marked or missed. Still, there are those among 



