344 "^HE PLEASURE, OR [April. 
three interior ones, and broader at their base: all the petals should 
have perfectly entire edges, free from notch or serrature; the top 
of each should be broad and well rounded; the* ground colour of 
the flower, at the bottom* of the cup, ought to be a clear white, or 
yellow; and the various rich coloured stripes which are the prin- 
cipal ornament of a fine tulip, should be regular, bold, and distinct 
on the margin, and terminate in fine broken points, elegantly 
feathered or pencilled. 
The centre of each leaf or petal should contain one or more bold 
blotches or stripes, intermixed with small portions of the original 
or breeder colour, abruptly broken into many irregular obtuse 
points. Some florists are of opinion that the central stripes, or 
blotches, do not contribute to the beauty and elegance of the tulip, 
unless confined to a narrow stripe exactly down the centre, and 
that they should be perfectly free from any remains of the original 
breeder colour: it is certain that such appear very beautiful and 
delicate, especially when they have a regular narrow feathering at 
the edge; but the greatest connoisseurs in this flower unanimously 
agree, that it denotes superiority when the tulip abounds with rich 
colouring, distributed in a distinct and regular manner throughout 
the flower, except in the bottom of the cup; which it cannot be 
disputed, should be clear, of a bright white or yellow, free from stain 
or tinge, in order to constitute what is considered a perfect flower. 
Tulips are divided into two classes, viz: early and late blowers. 
The late are infinitely the finest and most valuable, and are of course 
entitled to the principal attention of the curious. They are divided 
into six distinct families, or rather divisions of the same family, viz: 
1. Primo Baguets, which are tall; the colours, brown on white. 
2. Baguet Rigauts, these are not so tall; and have strong 
stems and large cups: the colours as before. 
3. Incomparable Verports. The characteristics of these are the 
form of the cups, which are very handsome; the colours a shining 
brown on white. 
4. Byhloemens. These have a white ground, with a variety of 
colours. 
5. Bizards. The colours of these are on a yellow ground, various, 
and consisting, in the whole, of three or more. 
6. The cherry and rose; the name denotes their colours, which 
are on a white ground. 
Breeders are self or plain coloured tulips, obtained by sowing 
the seed, which, in time, by being planted in a proper compost of 
lime rubbish and poor soil, accidentally break out into stripes and 
variegations, by which new varieties are annually obtained. 
I have been the more particular in my account of that glorious 
flower, the Tulipa gesneriana, or garden tulip, as it is now in more 
general estimation than any other flower whatever. 
Mr. Samuel Curtis, florist, of Walworth near London, had 
sent me last autumn, upwards of two hundred varieties of the most 
elegant sorts of tulips, and at the same time informed me that it 
is very common for him to receive from fifty to eighty pounds 
