TUL 
TUL 
brownish red without stripes or other 
marking, except a circle of black at the 
base of the petals. Yet from this origin 
are all our fine handsome varieties ob¬ 
tained. To raise new kinds, such varie¬ 
ties as possess the first desideratum, a 
good form, should alone be selected to 
bear seed; they should be remarkable 
for bold flowers of a thick fleshy texture, 
with rounded petals, whose outline when 
fully expanded is something more than 
half a globe, without serrature of any 
kind, and which stand closely one to 
another without exhibiting an opening 
anywhere between the margin of the 
flower and its base ; and they should be 
perfectly cc clean” about the bottom of 
the cup or point of union of the petals, 
any stain of black or purple in this part¬ 
is a fatal blemish in the opinion of all 
good florists. Having selected such 
specimens, when the flowers are decayed 
expose the plants to all the sun they can 
get, and, to assist the ripening of the 
seed, a small square of glass may be 
fixed horizontally of it, to ward off rain, 
and thus forward its maturing; the seed 
when fully ripe may be preserved in bags 
till the following February, when it 
should be sown in pans of light rich 
earth, and gently stimulated to grow 
with gentle waterings and a slightly 
raised temperature, and when about an 
inch high it should be placed in the open 
air. For the first two years the seed¬ 
lings may remain, without disturbing, in 
the pans, keeping them dry through the 
winter, and moderately watered when in 
an active state. In the spring of the third 
year they will be large enough to plant 
in the regular beds, and in the succeed¬ 
ing summer many of them will bloom, 
when all those of inferior form should be 
pulled out and thrown away; their treat¬ 
ment after this will be that of mature 
roots, though it is quite uncertain when 
their proper value may be estimated, for 
some will “ break,” as it is termed, into 
stripes, their proper character in the 
fourth season, while others may remain 
in the “ breeder” or seedling state for 
twice that period. Whenever a breeder 
breaks into colour, it should be particu¬ 
larly observed that, in addition to the 
fine form it always possesses, the lines 
of marking, of Avhatever description they 
may be, must be clearly defined, uniform 
in size and extent, without the slightest 
retention of the old or breeder colour; 
the bottom of the flower must also be 
entirely devoid of any purple stains, or 
what is termed “ foul.” 
Varieties thus broken are divided into 
three classes : Bizarres, Bybloemens, and 
Boses. The first is distinguished by a 
yellow ground-colour overlaid with bands 
of red of various shades; the second and 
third have white grounds, and are known 
one from another by the colour of their 
markings; the bybloemen having stripes 
of different shades of violet or purple, 
Avhile the last, as the name implies, have 
rose-coloured markings. The disposition 
of the colour constitutes also a sub-class : 
thus, if the stripes or markings commence 
from near the middle of the bottom of 
each petal, and spread upwards from the 
centre, it is called a cc flame or beam,” 
while, should the colour proceed from 
the margin of the petal towards the 
middle in wavy lines, it is termed a 
“ feather;” many varieties are both 
flamed and feathered, nor is it regarded 
material in what manner 'the colour is 
displayed so that each is distinct from 
the other, and clearly and evenly de¬ 
fined. The cultivator who raises one 
variety in a thousand roots Avhich shall 
meet all these points may consider him¬ 
self fortunate. The tulip bed should be 
prepared about the end of September by 
removing the natural soil to a depth of 
eighteen inches, spreading on the bottom 
five or six inches of drainage materials, 
such as broken bricks, stones, &c., over 
this three or four inches of rotten ma¬ 
nure should be laid, and the soil return¬ 
ed if it is good, or otherwise a mixture 
of pasture loam, leaf-mould, and road- 
sand ; it is necessary in either case to 
examine the whole mass perfectly, lest 
wireworm or other grubs be present. 
The last week in October, or first in the 
following month, is the best time for 
planting, which should be done by re¬ 
moving the surface of the soil for about 
four inches, raking the surface thus form¬ 
ed quite level, and placing the roots in 
