TULIPS. 
130 
TULIPS. 
These “ gems of Flora” have been sadly deficient in interest 
and beauty throughout the metropolitan districts this season ; 
the terrible effects of the past severe winter have been every¬ 
where visible in cramped stems, spotted foliage, curled, split, and 
abortive flowers, and fortunate will it prove if canker does not 
make its appearance in the roots before the next planting season ; 
the cause of all this mischief may be readily and consistently 
traced to the action of excessive frost on the young leaves and 
incipient bloom-buds at an early part of the season. In most 
places the Tulips came up well last year, the roots were as healthy 
as could be desired, and every promise of a beautiful bloom this 
season was raising the florist’s expectation to the highest pitch, 
when the tremendous weather of last February and March oc¬ 
curred to mar all his golden visions. 
The cpiestion as to how the recurrence of these disastrous 
effects are to be prevented has often and long ago been mooted, 
and the remedy urged, yet little attention is given to it at the 
right time. Cultivators may depend they do not cover their beds 
soon enough; the young shoots must be protected from frosts as 
well under the ground as after they are through the surface, for 
they are then even more susceptible of injury, and so surely as 
the frost penetrates to them, which it will very readily do, all the 
after attention is thrown away, for the mischief is done. It is 
surprising that the subject is so much neglected, for to guard 
them then incurs but little trouble ; some loose rubbish, such as 
fresh leaves or the small thinnings of plantations, would be most 
effective, and yet admit all the air and light necessary, and when 
the shoots were an inch above the ground the whole might be 
cleared away, and recourse had to the usual hoops and mats ; 
though I am by no means certain it would not prove advantageous 
to allow the leaves to remain, supposing them to be employed, 
for I think they would afford a supply of nutriment to tbe plants 
in the first part of their growth, and afterwards serve to keep 
them moist in the hot weather of April and May, and there would 
be no danger of their solidifying to any injurious extent, if they 
were slightly dried in the autumn before being put on the bed. 
