98 
THE FLORIST AND POJIOLOOIST. 
[ July, 
“ These brilliant forms, we should remember, 
are not confined to the interior of the flower. 
They are rich and beautiful on the outside 
also. This is the property which chiefly gives 
splendour to a tulip-bed, where, except for 
the purpose of ascertaining the peculiar merits 
of a variety, the inside is comparatively little 
seen. Even on the stage of an exhibition it is 
not the inside alone which secures the prize. 
A blemish on the outside, though not apparent 
within, is quite as prejudicial as if it were there 
situated. Indeed, in cold seasons, it often 
happens that the inside can scarcely be seen by 
the judges, and the character of the outside 
alone determines the relative merits of the 
whole collection. It is obvious, therefore, that 
the cup, or flower, ought to possess such a 
form as will enable us to see these external 
beauties fully displayed, as well as the internal. 
Here, again, the half-circle commends itself to 
our preference ; for, in consequence of the more 
erect position and greater size of each petal, a 
much larger surface is presented to the eye, 
and feather and flame may both be seen at 
once ; while if the form were only one-third of 
a circle, the latter would be comparatively 
small, and scarcely visible without turning up 
the under-side; and the whole flower would 
have so mean and insignificant an appearance 
as barely to be deemed worthy of cultivation. 
“Mr. Glenny’s objection to the half-circle, 
on account of its being too deep to reveal the 
internal beauties to the spectator at a glance, 
is altogether groundless. Whoever will take 
the trouble to procure an accurately formed 
hemisphere, made either of copper or any 
other material, will immediately be convinced 
of its fallacy; and, after what has been said 
against it, will be surprised that it should ap¬ 
pear so shallow. For that portion of it which 
meets the horizontal at right angles is so 
small as scarcely to be discernible; and every 
part of the interior will be visible at once, 
without any shadow whatever, if it be turned 
properly to the light, and the eye brought in a 
line directly over the centre. There is no mis¬ 
take about this ; and the advantages of the 
half-circle, or globe, so greatly preponderate 
over those of every other form, that I have no 
hesitation in adopting it as the standard by 
which the form of every Tulip ought to be 
tested. Of course, I would not reject eveiy 
Tulip which has not this form, for until it 
prevails much more extensively than it now 
does, we cannot afford to discard such varieties 
as Charles Ah, Shcikespere, Bienfait, Roi de 
bum, Heroine , and Aglaia. These and many 
other even longer-cupped flowers will, in all 
probability, continue to be admired as lono- as 
Tulips exist. But, in order that the relative 
merits of every variety may easily be ascer¬ 
tained, it is important to know in what per¬ 
fection of form consists, and I believe it is 
only to be found in the half-circle or hollow globe. 
“Mr. Wood evidently takes the same view of 
it, for in his description of the Tulip, which 
appeared in the Gardeners’ Chronicle (1845, 
p. 3 GO), and which is highly creditable to his 
taste and judgment, he says :—‘ I would have 
the shape of the cup approach as near as pos¬ 
sible the half of a hollow globe; if a trifle 
more or less, I should not object to it, only 
requiring that when in its prime the interior 
of the flower may be seen at a glance.’ 
Indeed, Mr. Glenny himself seems more 
favourably disposed to the half-circle than 
he was, for in the Gardeners’ Almanack 
(1847, p. 94), instead of condemning it 
as worse than the third of a globe, which 
he did in 1841 and 1843, he contends that 
‘ one-third to one-half a hollow ball is alike 
good all through,’ and further says that 
‘ between these two extremes every shade is 
beautiful.’ It is clear, however, that in lay¬ 
ing down a standard of form for our guidance, 
one which admits of so much latitude of judg¬ 
ment is highly objectionable, for one of two 
different proportions must be wrong. If one- 
third of a hollow ball be perfect, the farther 
we depart from that form, in either direction, 
the more imperfect will the proportion become ; 
and one-half of a ball must, therefore, be as 
imperfect a form as that which is almost flat. 
It is not enough to say that ‘ one-tliird to one- 
half is alike good all through or that ‘ be¬ 
tween these two extremes every shade is beauti¬ 
ful.’ In defining correct forms, it is our duty 
not to confound that which is beautiful merely 
with that which is perfect; and I believe it 
impossible to induce many to acknowledge the 
third of a hollow ball as the true standard 
of form for the Tulip. Indeed, it is rather sur¬ 
prising Mr. Glenny should ever have required 
us to do so, for if we refer to the Gardener and 
Practical Florist (1843, p. 4), he there dis¬ 
tinctly tells us, in reply to the inquiry, ‘-Who 
ever expects to see a tulip like the third of a 
hollow ball ?’ that ‘ the constitution of a 
Tulip forbids it.’”—G. W. Hardy, Warrington. 
(To he continued.) 
ROSE PERLE DES JARDINS. 
beautiful Bose is one of the best of 
e yellow Tea-scented varieties, and 
deserving of the most extensive 
cultivation. The flowers are large, full, and 
well formed. The colour under bright light 
is a beautiful pale yellow, and under slight 
shade a deep golden-yellow. Planted under 
glass, and trained up walls or trellises, these 
Tea-scented Boses will furnish a succession of 
beautiful flowers from spring to autumn. They 
grow and flower freely in the open ground, 
but under such circumstances should be well 
protected during the winter. A rich, warm, 
dry soil is necessary, to grow them to perfec¬ 
tion. — M. Saul, Stonrton Castle , Yorkshire. 
