496 
THE FORM OF THE TULTP. 
distinct, they should be dried in separate loose 
bags, or the bursting of the pods, as they ripen, 
will scatter the seeds, and the different kinds 
will become mixed. A succession of plants 
must be kept up to flower through the autumn, 
by sowing, at two or three different times, 
during the spring. 
SPIRAEA DOUGLASII. 
(Hooker.) 
MR. DOUGLAS' SPIRiEA. 
Many of the Spirasas are well known as 
most beautiful, hardy flowering shrubs. The 
present species is one of the handsomest 
among them, and has the recommendation of 
continuing to produce flowers for a great 
length of time during the summer. A specimen 
flowered most beautifully in the Clapton nur- 
sery, in July of the present year ; and Mr. 
Murray, the curator of the Glasgow Botanic 
Garden, states, " that after the flowers of all 
other shrubs have passed, this is found in 
perfection : last year it was fine, even when 
the frost came on in October." 
It is quite a hardy shrub, forming a 
handsome bush, ultimately reaching four or 
five feet in height. It produces flowers, 
however, much smaller, and we have seen the 
branches which have been layered for the 
purpose of propagation, producing the blos- 
soms abundantly. It is deciduous, that is, 
shedding its leaves during the winter ; the 
leaves are elliptic, coarsely and unequally 
jagged, or saw-edged, near the upper end, and 
somewhat hoary beneath. The flowers are 
small, of a rosy lilac colour, and produced in 
dense oblong clusters at the termination of the 
shoots, and from the axils of the upper leaves, 
the whole forming a large loose pyramidal 
spike. These flowers are produced from July 
to October. It was found by the lamented 
and indefatigable collector, Mr. David Douglas, 
on the north-west coast of America : it was not, 
however, introduced by him ; but plants have 
been raised by Mr. Murray of Glasgow, from 
seeds sent to him by Dr. Tolmie, who gathered 
them at Fort Vancouver. Sir W. Hooker has 
commemorated the name of Douglas in the 
specific title. 
Hardy plants of any considerable beauty 
have been lately of much less frequent intro- 
duction than green-house and stove plants; but 
in this case, we have a perfectly hardy plant, 
of very great beauty, consequently its value is 
far more likely to be appreciated, than if its 
constitution were more tender. It is, in fact, 
just the very plant for the amateur, who pos- 
sessing a garden, has not at the same time the 
means of growing plants of a delicate and 
tender nature. 
It is of the easiest culture. Any moderately 
rich garden soil would grow it to perfection ; 
and it may be increased rapidly both by 
cuttings and by layers. A single plant of it 
would look very handsome planted out as a 
specimen on a neatly kept lawn. 
THE FORM OF THE TULIP. 
It will be recollected by the readers of the 
" Gardener and Practical Florist " that the 
perfection of form for a Tulip was set down 
at from one-third to one-half a hollow ball. 
It seems that, considering all the other flowers 
have assigned to them a positive point, this 
loose way of defining a form which is to be 
perfection gave rise to so-called improve- 
ments, and that some other writer or writers 
have asserted that half a ball was the perfect 
standard. Now this involves a point which 
upsets itself, and upon principle must be 
wrong. That more than half a ball is a fault 
upon the principle laid down is certain, and 
will be obvious to all who consider the character 
of the flower. For instance, the Tulip has to 
exhibit all its inside beauties; if you look into 
half a ball you can see every thing ; if it be 
more than half a ball, the portion beyond the 
half ball must turn over the edge inwardly, 
and thus some of the beauties are hidden 
which the very first object is to show in per- 
fection. Now, if the flower be less than halt 
a ball, the entire inner surface will be seen 
even better than it will if it be one shade 
more ; and down to one-third of the ball the 
facility of viewing the inner surface is in- 
creased ; so that, if we suppose the author of 
the properties of these flowers had laid 
down a positive line from which to depart 
either way would be to detract from per- 
fection, he must have said, instead of from 
