396 THE PLEASURE, OR [May. 
The blossom or corolla, should be at least two inches and a half 
in diameter, consisting of an exterior row of large substantial well 
rounded petals or guard leaves, at first horizontally extended, and 
then turning a little upwards so as to form abroad shallow cup, the 
interior part of which should contain a great number of long nar- 
row petals imbricating each other, and rather reverting from the 
centre of the blossom; there are a great number of small slender 
stamens intermixed with these petals, but they are short, and not 
easily discernible. 
The colour should be clear and distinct when diversified in the 
same flower, or brilliant and striking if it consists only of one 
colour, as blue, crimson, or scarlet, &c., in which case the bottoms 
of the broad exterior petals are generally white; but the beauty and 
contrast is considerably increased when both the exterior and inte- 
rior petals are regularly marked with alternate blue and white, or 
pink and white stripes, &c. which in the broad petals should not 
extend quite to the margin. 
Early Flowering Bulbs. 
Any curious bulbs that are now in flower, may be much pro- 
longed in bloom and beauty by occasional shade from the sun. 
Spring crocuses, snow-drops, fritillaries, crown-imperials, dens 
canises, and all other early flowering bulbs that have done flower- 
ing, should, where intended, be taken up as soon as their leaves 
decay. 
This ought to be constantly practised with such as have stood 
unremoved two or three years, in order to separate the offsets, and 
to select the best roots for new planting, for without this care the 
bulbs would become numerous, and so small as to render the 
flowers very insignificant. The offsets, v/hen separated, may be 
immediately planted in beds or prepared borders, to increase the 
stock and enlarge their size; or they may be kept up as well as the 
largest of the roots till found convenient to plant them. 
All these kinds, when taken up, should be placed in the shade 
to dry, and when sufficiently so, preserved in dry sand or saw-dust, 
&c. till the time of planting, which, for these, should not be delayed 
later than October, nor even till then if not taken good care of, as 
they do not keep well out of ground, especially if exposed long to 
the air. 
Autumn Flowering Bulbs. 
The autumnal crocuses, amaryllises, and colchicums; should be 
taken up as soon as their leaves decay, the offsets separated, and 
all replanted again before the end of July: they are by no means to 
be kept longer out of the ground, as that would prevent their flower- 
ing in due perfection in autumn, which is their proper season. 
Care of Seedling Bulbs. 
The boxes of seedling tulips, hyacinths, narcissuses, and other 
