FLOWER GARDEN. 
389 
a colour in one patch, and so have all the patches 
of a self colour — every six patches the colour 
comes over again ; we prefer having three 
different or six different colours in every patch. 
Crocusses, Narcissuses, Frittilarias, 
Lilies, Irises, (of all kinds^) Snowdrops, 
Jonquilles, Early Tulips, and many other 
subjects, though quite as well planted next 
month, and not much worse the month after, 
gain strength by early planting ; and may be 
done with advantage in places where the bor- 
ders, beds, or grounds, are at liberty towards 
the end of the present month. Narcissuses 
and Jonquilles, when planted in borders, must 
be placed further back than Hyacinths, as 
they are generally taller, particularly the large 
sorts of Narcissuses. Regard must also be 
had to the colours, as those white and yellow 
are very striking. Early Tulips are only fit 
to group in borders alternately with Hyacinths; 
they are very brilliant, and the greater part of 
them are not much taller. Snowdrops look 
well anywhere, but best at the foot of a shrub, 
or under trees — anywhere in the shade, and 
always require to be in tolerable large patches, 
or they look insignificant. Crocusses are often 
placed as a sort of inner edging, which, to us, 
is very mechanical, and anything but effective ; 
good patches formed in the borders, but some 
considerable distance apart from each other, 
look bold and bright, particularly if kept to 
their own colours in each patch ; there should 
be from six to twelve in a patch. If they are 
to be taken up at the end of their season, 
there may be a dozen ; if they are to remain 
two years or three, then half-a-dozen, or even 
less will do. But it must be remembered, 
that although all bulbs are stronger for early 
planting, they are not actually suffering from 
being out of ground, until the tap of their 
roots begins to swell, for then, if in the ground, 
their fibres would at once shoot out and find 
nourishment. 
While upon the subject of bulbs, it may be 
well to observe, that where any have been left 
in the ground, and it is at all desirable to 
remove or thin them, this is a very good 
month to dig them up and replant them ; but 
they will, in many cases, be found germinating 
again, the fibres pushed down a considerable 
distance, and the removal in such case always 
checks them. For this reason, the earlier in 
the month any removals take place the better. 
The soft scaly, sort of bulbs, such as many 
Lilies and the Crown Imperials, with all their 
families, ought never to be out of the ground 
a day ; but by packing them at once in sand, 
so as to keep the air from them, they are kept 
out for months. This alone causes the bloom 
to go blind, and makes it uncertain about 
getting a flower the first season of planting. 
Crocusses, Gladioluses, and such like, may be 
out for months, and be none the worse. This, 
however, should be only once in three seasons; 
all such bulbs increase faster, and bloom 
stronger, the second year than the first, and do 
not get much worse, if any, the third year ; 
but they would deteriorate in size after that 
period, though they might not increase in any 
less degree. 
Tulips. — These, where grown in a bed, are 
splendid subjects, but the named varieties are 
what are generally called late Tulips. The 
planting time for these is October and No- 
vember ; but all collections require revising, 
and to a certain extent re-arranging, before 
they are planted. The Tulip book which is 
the guide to a bed, should be always in the 
grower's hand, with a pencil, during the whole 
bloom. He should make remarks against every 
one that is not of average quality and proper 
height. If they are worse than the average, 
he should say so ; if better than the average, 
he may make a star, or cross, or tick, that he 
can understand ; and if extraordinary, he may 
state so ; or make more than one star or tick. 
Suppose we, as an exampl'turn to the twen- 
tieth row in a careful man's Tulip bed. Say 
we found it thus, that is presuming it was kept 
properly : — 
ROW TWENTY. 
1. Camuse de Craix. 4-. 
2. Salvator Rosa. Bather heavy in colour. 
3. Polyphemus. Splendid. 
4= Rose Emily. Wrong ; a byblomen. 
5. Polyphemus. Fine, but a good deal of 
colour. 
6. Salvator Rosa. Very fine indeed. 
7. Camuse de Craix. Very small; no bloom. 
Here it is necessary to remove the Camuse 
de Craix for a blooming root, and the By- 
blomen out of the middle for a Bose Emily. 
In this way, during blooming time, everything 
ought to be noted that is out of the ordinary 
way. Many will remove a flower because it 
is heavy in character or colour ; and if too 
heavy, and you have plenty of good ones, it 
ought to be removed, because it is likely to 
go heavier instead of lighter in the covered 
bed. In too many beds there is a total want 
of arrangement as to colours and kinds ; but 
as enough has been said on this subject in a 
paper quoted formerly, all we shall say here 
is, that some of the best collections in the 
country produce a bed inferior in appearance 
to even those of young beginners, who evince 
much more taste with their limited means, 
than some of those whose stores are almost 
endless. This month should be a busy one 
with some old growers, who instead of having 
Byblomens, Boses, and Bizards, jumbled to- 
gether with inconceivable confusion, should 
be looked up to for something better. The 
