May 4, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
849 
T WO years ago come June a writer in the Journal of Horticulture, 
fresh from a visit to a Tulip bed that impressed him—not cne 
of those glowing masses of yellow, crimson, or rose produced by early 
bedding Tulips in parks and gardens in April and May—but the 
Tulip bed of an old florist, thus recorded his impressions “ There 
are Tulips from many collections in England and several from 
continental sources, but there is no mistaking the superiority in form, 
substance, and accuracy in colouration of the best of the English 
florists’ Tulips over all others that are grown in comparison with 
them. The ‘ amateurs’ ’ Tulips, as they are called on the Con¬ 
tinent (the equivalent term to our florists’ Tulips) are in general 
appearance attractive, and the colours of some compel admiration ; 
but in most of the blooms these colours are where they ought not to 
be, running right down to the base of the petals, and in some other 
respects irregular. Many of the petals are also too long pointed 
and flimsy, lacking the close cup-like shape and stout texture of 
the best English forms. These, too, are clearer at the base, as if a 
sun was set at the bottom of the bizarres and the most silvery of 
moons in the roses and bybloemens lighting up the colours of the 
flamed and feathered petals there displayed in beautiful regularity 
and indiscriminate hues.” 
Taking up the theme and observing the striking and well- 
defined characteristics of our home-raised flowers, as developed 
and established by generations of florists, another writer last year 
went on to say : — “ Since Conrad Gesner brought Tulipa 
Gesneriana from Constantinople more than 300 years ago 
marvellous work has been accomplished by hybridisers in various 
countries (with that species as a parent), but it is in England 
that the properties which are most esteemed in the best Tulips of 
to-day—perfect form, smoothness, substance of petal, and clean 
base—were developed. There are florists’ Tulips in abundance 
that possess none of these qualifications, and the time has come 
for finding some distinctive appellation for the noble class of 
flowers which pay tribute to the English florists’ skill.” The 
natural and just name foreshadowed was thereupon adopted— 
“English Tulips.” The distinction is the more called for since 
many of the “ amateur ” or florists’ Tulips of the continent come of 
a different race. 
The overwhelming majority of Dutch florists’ or amateurs’ 
Tulips, effective as they may be for garden decoration, are wholly 
distinct from and distinctly inferior to the highest type of Tulips 
that have not been“ made in Germany ” (or rather Holland) but in 
England. This is plainly seen when extensively grown in com¬ 
parison, as in Messrs. Barr & Son’s collection, and to a more 
limited extent in many private gardens. It is important that this 
should be known and the essential differences between what may 
be termed home and foreign flamed and feathered varieties 
recognised now that a demand is increasing for Tulips that combine 
brilliancy with chaste refinement such as is represented in the 
florists’ forms of T. Gesneriana. These are usually in full beauty in 
May, sometimes June, but this year they were fully expanded in 
the south of England during the last week in April. Beds of these 
Tulips shaded with canvas remain attractive for a month—a 
veritable floral feast, fascinating and unique. 
If this is so it may be asked, “ Why are not these late English 
florists’Tulips more popular? why are collections of them so few 
No. 671.—VOL. XXVI., Third Sbriks. 
and far between ? ” There has been no attempt to popularise them, 
but somewhat the reverse. Connoisseurs as a body have valued 
them for their rarity, and have not willingly let them “ go.” It 
is not surprising in one important respect that this should be so. 
The highest forms are regarded by those who possess and love 
them as precious gems not to be entrusted to persons who do not 
understand them, and who cannot appreciate what they represent— 
years of unremitting care in their preservation following years of 
waiting, first for the flowering of seedlings and the then longer 
time of breaking from the self or breeder stage into the flames of 
colour or feathered fringes that come to stay, and give life-long 
pleasure to those who own and cherish them. There is not much 
wonder that they should be jealously guarded, and as far as possible 
kept in the hands of those who know their value instead of being 
scattered abroad and lost ; and thus it is if a collection of real 
genuine English Tulips loses its owner in the course of nature, 
and the bulbs have to be dispersed, the cognoscenti travel far to 
see them, and mark them for their own, at least such as they 
desire and can secure. Of late floral pilgrims have wended their 
way to Petersfield, Hants, to obtain what they could of the late Mr. 
Lloyd’s varieties, Bentley and Barr, Hogg and Lakin, and Miss 
Lloyd knows who besides, have been down to share in the honour 
of preserving her father’s long-cherished flowers. There was no 
need to advertise them, and all have found new owners. How, 
then, under such circumstances can these genuine English Tulips, 
which are thus “ run after ” by owners of existing collections 
ever become popular, and the numbers of growers of them 
materially increase ? 
The choicer and rarer named varieties cannot be obtained and 
collections formed of them in a year or two ; or in other words, 
persons who might, as several do, like to become growers of these 
remarkable flowers will have to do as their “ fore-elders ” did— 
start at the bottom of the ladder and steadily work upwards ; but 
until recently it has been extremely diflicult to make a start at all. 
Continental mixtures could be obtained, but these are not English, 
and do not form a good foundation ; but inexpensive mixtures of 
real English Tulips are now procurable. Mr. Peter Barr has taken 
them in hand, and he is not the man to rest satisfied till he attains his 
object. The same energy, perseverance, and knowledge which, from 
the smallest of beginnings, resulted in the world-famed collection 
of Daffodils—flowers once unappreciated, and, as a rule, rejected 
from gardens, but now grown in most ; flowers once rarely seen in 
markets, but now sold in hundreds of tons—the same untiring zeal 
by which so much has been accomplished in this once neglected 
family of bulbous plants is bound to have effect, if not to the same 
extent, yet in a very material way in inciting public interest in late 
Tulips. 
Mr. Barr is evidently a believer in the dictum that the supply 
of anything good in itself creates a demand, and English florists’ 
Tulips have been obtained from various sources and increased at 
Long Ditton where they now number many thousands. The result 
has been encouraging, and the demand for bulbs last year has 
given an impetus to production. The start is at the bottom of the 
ladder, cheap mixtures of unnamed varieties in which flowers of 
sterling merit are included ; in fact there are grades of merit, 
and steadily will these be recognised, the best flowers being noted 
and admired as their properties are appreciated ; then still better 
will be sought for and named forms precured. In that way are 
florists made and collections of the flowers they love established. 
It is so in the case of all flowers. They are first liked, then under¬ 
stood, then become fascinating and make the lives of their owners 
better worth living. That is what flowers do, and Tulips not the 
least, and hence the desirability of encouraging a taste for an 
extension of culture of these among other flowers, which, if 
intelligently indulged in, can lead to nothing but good. In this 
work Mr. Peter Barr is worthily sharing, and he will not rest till 
he makes these Tulips “go.” He has, moreover, the active 
No. 2827.—VoL. LXXXVIII., Old Series. 
