PLANTING TULIP BEDS. 
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selected, but nothing is so good as duplicates; 
and the nearest that two different flowers can 
be found to approach, makes a poor apology 
for the same sort. We have seen many beds 
of noble flowers appear one mass of confusion 
for want of proper arrangement, for in that 
consists the true art of cultivating a proper 
bed ; and we may say fearlessly, that there is 
not one grower in a score, who ought not to 
blush for the downright injury he does his 
collection for want of that arrangement which 
sets it off, or rather which would set it off, to 
the best advantage. We will mention no 
names, but some of the finest collections in 
the kingdom are grown under an arrangement, 
or rather a want of arrangement, so utterly 
unworthy of them, that we confess it does 
violence to our feelings to see them ; and could 
the owners once see the detriment such want 
of arrangement does a bed, we should never 
witness it as we do now among some of the 
best collectors. Young fanciers will do well 
to begin as they mean to go on. If they grow 
but twenty rows, let them be grown in a sci- 
entific manner. Let there be nothing on one 
side the middle row that they do not also have 
oh the other. If they have odd flowers, grow 
them outside, where, be it remembered, Tulips 
always increase better and grow healthier, 
until they have two ; for it is folly, and we 
fear we must say idleness personified, to grow 
a bed of Tulips any other way. Tulips are 
not fit to be grouped. The mechanical way 
in which they are planted, that is, equidistant 
and in seven rows, shows that their colours 
should be uniformly contrasted. The arrange- 
ment of heights, as well as colour, is suggested 
by the very plan of growing ; yet we find 
men who possess wonderfully fine collections, 
merely jumble the sorts together, so that the 
bed exhibits white, yellow, and red patches, 
from the sorts being huddled close to each 
other; sometimes half a dozen Bizarres coming 
together, sometimes as many Roses or Byblo- 
mens, without the slightest reference to the 
general appearance of uniformity. Again, as 
a bit of advice on this head, we would say to 
young growers, (for it is no use talking to old 
ones,) rather grow twenty good ones of a sort 
in your bed, than introduce inferior ones. 
Clean flowers are always acceptable and effec- 
tive. It is not the dearness that constitutes a 
flower; and another great point is to grow two 
in a hole of all fine but treacherous varieties, 
and of all really conspicuous kinds, that you 
may break off the worst of the two, and so 
double the chance of a fine bloom. Polyphe- 
mus should never be grown without two in a 
hole, for it gives a double chance to both as to 
height and colour. We may have to take off 
the shortest or the darkest, whichever serves 
our turn the better. Charbonnier is another 
that should be so grown in couples ; it is a 
beautiful flower, but apt to come dark, and 
you may have both dark after all, but it does 
give you the chance of taking away the darker 
of the two. Some Tulips are very apt to come 
a little out of character, and frequently stunted 
as to height; others are apt to split into offsets 
instead of blooming, both of which evils are 
detrimental to the bed. Rosa Blanca, for in- 
stance, is one of the most beautiful Rosea, 
when in character, that ever was seen; but if 
you depend on one bulb, you will, upon an 
average, after you have done all you can in 
choosing, find one in three fail you from not 
blooming. Other flowers could be mentioned 
that fail you as to character. Claudiana is 
grand, but treacherous. Catharine is bright, 
but will come dirty. Madame Vestris showy 
and beautiful, but sometimes too full of colour. 
The Duke of Clarence never comes two alike 
nor twice alike, and nothing that is grown is 
more ccarse and ugly than it will come occa- 
sionally. Siam is a beauty, but not two come 
alike. There is nothing like having two things 
to give one in all these matters; and when you 
grow two in a hole of all the doubtful flowers, 
and the same sort on one side as on the other, 
you may, by withdrawing the least beautiful 
all over the bed, render it a perfect object, 
surpassing anything and everything that can 
be produced in a garden. Our old cultivators, 
who possess magnificent collections, set horrid 
examples to the young ones, when they, after 
thirty or forty years' experience, show them a 
bed not well arranged. The young ones set 
down this confusion as a difficulty, which the 
grower has been forty years trying to get 
over, and has not succeeded. Why, the young 
fancier, if he have any taste, looks upon the 
task as hopeless, and it inflicts a heavy blow 
and great discouragement to Tulip growers. 
But our young friends must take it for granted 
that the want of arrangement is the result of 
idleness and procrastination. A man should 
set about Tulip growing the right way, and 
shame the elders by his taste. They are, per- 
haps, too far gone in their habits of indolence 
to set about a re-arrangement in good earnest, 
or they assuredly would not let the younger 
ones surpass them in taste. Some old culti- 
vators have but one ambition — the ambition 
to possess the best of everything, and there it 
ends. The purchasers of half a century have 
enriched their out beds, and perhaps added 
something to the covered one, but the expe- 
rience of half a century has not improved the 
arrangement. Let us hope that those gentle- 
men to whom young fanciers look up for 
example, will not fail to do something this 
year towards arranging them properly; and it 
can only be done effectually by turning out all 
doubtful and bad flowers ; by then removing 
