May  7,  1903. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
399 
strange  to  say,  are  nearly  halcl.  The  climate  of  Manchester  is 
not  the  ideal  one  for  the  Old  Man,  he  gets  so  very  dirty,  and  in 
order  to  keep  the  old  gentleman  clean  he  has  to  he  shampooed 
frequently.  Thanks  to  the  judicious  use  of  softsoap  and  water, 
a  soft  brush  and  the  syringe,  this  process  greatly  improves  his 
appearance.  In  summer  he  delights  in  a  shower-bath  morning 
and  evening  when  the  weather  is  hot.  In  winter  it  is  said  he 
<loes  not  object  to  a  few  degrees  of  frost  providing  he  is  kept  diy. 
Pilocereus  Schotti  is  covered  with  long  brown  bristles,  and 
resembles  a  large  bottle-brush. 
- f.#*, - 
The  English  Florist’s  Tulip. 
On  January  13  Mr.  Richard  Dean,  V.M.H.,  lectured  before 
the  members  of  the  Weybridge  Horticultural  Society,  taking 
as  his  subject  the  “  Life  History  of  a  Flower,”  illustrated  by 
the  florist’s  Tulip.  Commencing  with  a  short  history  of  the 
Tulip,  Mr.  Dean  went  on  to  say  that  T.  Gesneriana  is  gene¬ 
rally  believed  to  be  the  forerunner  of  the  English  show 
Tulip.  It  was  named  after  Conrad  Gesner,  who  was 
described  as  “  The  Linnaeus  of  the  sixteenth  century,”  and 
who  first  made  the  Tulip  known  by  a  botanical  description 
and  drawing  of  the  flower.  Gesner  records  that  “  he  first 
saw  the  Tulip  in  the  beginning  of  April,  1599,  at  Angusburg, 
in  the  garden  of  the  learned  Counsellor  John  Henry 
Herwart.” 
It  is  scarcely  known  when  the  Tulip  was  introduced  to 
Europe,  but  it  appears  certain  it  came  to  Germany,  though 
by  what  means  is  not  accurately  shown.  It  is  on  record  that 
the  Dutch  merchants  and  the  rich  citizens  of  Vienna  who 
were  fond  of  flowers,  sent  to  Constantinople  at  different 
times — the  Tulip  being  a  native  of  the  East^ — for  the  various 
renowned  sorts.  The  first  roots  planted  in  England  were, 
it  is  said,  brought  from  Vienna  in  1600. 
After  a  brief  reference  to  the  Tulipomania  of  1634-5-6-7, 
the  lecturer  proceeded  to  say  that  the  bulb  of  the  Tulip 
which  produces  the  flower  decays,  its  business  in  life  being 
to  make  foliage  and  bloom.  Having  done  this  it  perishes, 
but  propagates  its  kind  by  means  of  offsets,  and  by  the  end 
of  June  or  early  in  July  they  are  ready  for  lifting,  and  are 
better  out  of  the  ground  till  planting  time  than  in  it.  And 
while  it  is  placed  away  in  a  drawer  till  it  is  planted  there 
is  no  suspended  animation,  the  bulb  undergoes  change  of 
size  and  shape,  and  is  forming  within  itself  all  the  elements 
of  the  future  flower.  It  endures  the  dryness  and  coolness 
of  the  cabinet  better  than  the  summer  rains  if  left  in  the 
soil  ;  indeed,  experience  shows  they  have  a  prejudicial  effect 
upon  it. 
Any  good  garden  soil  suits  the  Tulip,  one  that  will  grow 
Beans  in  good  character  is  suitable,  and  it  can  be 
improved  by  mixing  some  chopped  up  turfy  sods  with  it. 
Wet  is  more  destructive  to  Tulips  than  frpst,  hence  the 
soil  in  which  they  are  planted  should  be  well  drained,  and 
that  is  the  reason  why  growers  of  choice  varieties  have  their 
beds  raised  a  foot  or  eighteen  inches  above  the  ground 
level,  and  edge  them  with  bricks,  wood,  or  turves.  Another 
advantage  is  that  by  raising  the  bed  the  flowers  are  nearer 
the  line  of  sight.  The  time  to  plant  is  generally  during  the 
first  and  second  weeks  in  November ;  but  the  middle  of 
October  is  not  too  soon,  and  mid-December  not  too  late. 
Once  planted,  the  beds  are  left  exposed  to  all  weathers  until 
the  foliage  begins  to  appear  in  early  spring,  and  all  that 
show  a  second  leaf  may  be  expected  to  flower.  From  a 
single  leaf,  let  it  be  ever  so  broad  and  vigorous,  no  bloom 
can  be  expected  that  year.  In  Lancashire  those  producing 
a  single  leaf  only  are  denominated  “  Widows,”  the  bulb 
was  perhaps  too  young  or  was  inherently  weak. 
Some  protection  of  the  leaves  is  necessary  in  frosty 
weather,  or  when  hail  storms  threaten  ;  bright  sunshine 
falling  upon  frozen  leaves  is  harmful,  and  rough  winds 
blowing  them  about  when  frozen  is  equally  injurious.  A 
critical  time  is  when  the  bud  appears  in  the  hollow  formed 
by  the  leaves,  and  if  the  rain  lodging  there  becomes  frozen 
it  may  be  permanently  injured.  The  water  can  be  liberated 
bj'  opening  the  leaves.  As  the  flower  stems  rise  in  April, 
hail  storms  are  sometimes  freciuent,  and  if  a  bud  is  struck, 
or  the  foliage  wounded,  harm  is  done  ;  the  future  flower  is 
pretty  certain  to  disclose  a  blemish  in  consequence. 
By  means  of  coloured  diagrams  Mr.  Dean  traced  the 
flower  from  seed,  showing  the  peculiarity  of  the  seedling 
Tulin  to  throw  off  bulbs,  denominated  “droppers,”  three 
and  four  in  some  cases,  from  the  parent  bulb  at  the  base 
of  the  leaves.  This  goes  on  for  foiu’,  or  five,  or  six  years, 
a  single  leaf  only  being  produced,  until  a  second  leaf 
appears,  and  then  it  is  knowir  the  seedling  is  about  to 
bloom.  The  seedlings  almost  invariably  take  on  the  “  self  ” 
or  “  breeder  ”  form.  They  are  differentiated  by  the  fact 
that  the  “bizarre  breeder”  has  a  yellow  base,  the 
“  bybloemen  ”  and  the  “  rose  ”  white  bases. 
The  bizarre  breeder  is  suffused  by  some  tint  of  reddish 
or  yellowish  brown,  dull  red,  or  approaching  mahogany  ; 
the  bybloemen,  lilac  or  slate  colour  ;  and  the  rose  breeder, 
pink,  rose,  or  scarlet.  In  time,  it  may  be  in  a  year  or  two, 
or  it  may  be  many  years,  these  breeders,  in  no  order  of 
rank  or  age,  “  break  ”  or  rectify  ;  but  when  they  will 
break,  and  in  what  form  they  will  break,  no  one  knows. 
The  breeder  colour  appears  to  be  lifted  off  from  the  flower, 
and  new  and  beautiful  combinations  appear.  Diagrams  of 
feathered  and  flamed  flowers  were  shown,  and  the  curious 
changes  which  sometimes  appear  in  these  were  illustrated. 
The  importance  of  shade  from  burning  sunshine  when  the 
flowers  are  beginning  to  colour  was  insisted  upon.  The 
mode  of  planting  a  bed  and  the  method  of  arranging  the 
bulbs  according  to  their  height  was  also  stated.  A  Lan¬ 
cashire  Tulip  exhibition  was  described,  and  in  conclusion 
emphasis  was  laid  upon  the  importance  of  maintaining  the 
culture  and  the  interest  in  such  a  remarkable  flower  as  the 
florists’  Tulip. 
Gadding  and  Gatliering, 
“Here  awa’,  There  awa’.” 
A  Prize  Collection  of  Auriculas. 
It  is  that  cf  the  veteran  florist,  Mr.  James  Douglas,  V.M.H., 
of  Edensido,  Great  Bookham,  the  latter  being  a  pretty,  old- 
fashioned  village  liard  by  the  Epsom  Downs  of  Surrey,  so  greatly 
renowned  in  sporting  annals.  The  thriving  town  of  Leather- 
head  is  within  two  miles  of  Mr.  Douglas’s  nursery ;  and  Dorking, 
of  proud  fame  for  its  beauty,  near  which  is  Sir  Trevor  Lawrence’s 
garden  of  choice  plants,  is  also  within  easy  walking  distance. 
The  whole  district  is  picturesque  and  varied.  Away  as  far 
as  the  eye  can  travel  stretch  undulating  “  downs,”  high  hedges, 
patches  of  plantations,  belts  of  trees,  green  parks,  with  well 
cultivated  fields  filling  the  intermedium,  to  the  horizon.  Eden- 
side  itself  is  on  the  flat,  and  one  must  ascend  to  the  head  of 
the  village  for  the  pleasures  of  perspective  views. 
While  Carnations  are  the  greatest  speciality  at  the  nursery 
here,  it  ri  too  well  known  to  require  rC'-stating  that  Auriculas 
are  another  creation  in  which  Mr.  Douglas  has  an  unequalled 
field.  To  these  we  might  add  Cineirarias,  which  are  a  blaze"  of 
the  most  gorgeous  and  brilliant  colours  in  blues,  whites,  and 
crimsons  at  the  present  time,  and  among  which  I  noted  some 
faultless  specimen  types,  possessed  of  large,  round,  flat,  smooth, 
even,  stout  flowers,  the  depth  and  richness  of  the  colours  being 
unsurpassable-;  and  the  whole  strain  is  indeed  de  mhite 
premier.  Mr.  Douglas  confines  himself  to  the  florists’  varieties, 
remarking  that  if  he  also  cultivated  the  .stellate  sorts,  his  pre¬ 
sent  strain  would  unavoidably  deteriorate  from  the  influence  of 
cross-fertilisation. 
One  thing  that  struck  me  in  viewing  the  Auricula  collection 
— the  Shows,  Fancies,  and  Alpines  in  pots — was  _  its  limited 
extent.  We  may  rest  assured,  however,  that  a  sufficient  number 
of  plants  are  here  for  all  purposes,  and  the  selection  is  fully 
representative.  I  made  a  point  of  inquiring  how  many  varieties  of 
Show  Auriculas  there  are  in  cultivation.  The  number  is  about 
150  at  the  outside,  and  the  cream  of  these  is  confined  to  fifty. 
At  Edensicle  there  are  upwards  of  3,000  plants  of  Show 
Auriculas,  and  2,000  Alpine  varieties. 
Briefly  stated,  the  classification  of  the  Auricula  is  as  follows. 
First,  the  garden  Auricula  (Primula  Auricula);  second,  the 
Alpine  Auricula  (Primula  pubesceus).  The  garden  Auricula  is- 
sub-divided  into  four  sections  :  the  green-edge,  grey-edge,  white- 
edge,  ancl  seifs.  One  ought  to  say  there  are  five  sections,  for 
the  ’“  Fancies  ”  are  quite  distinct,  and  are  very  lovely  and 
dainty,  though  but  few  in  number.  Taken  together,  these  five 
sections  form  what  are  specialised  as  Show  Auriculas.  Their 
culture  is  a  little  more  exacting  than  the  Alpine  varieties. 
Many  have  mealed  foliage,  that  is,  the  leaves  are  more  or  less 
powdered  white,  or  creaiii  farina,  except  the  green-edged  varieties. 
Curiously  enough,  these  always  lack  it.  Alpines  do  not  pos.sess 
this  floiiriness. 
Those  who  make  Auricula  culture  a  hobby,  grow  the  Show 
varieties  in  pots.  These  varieties  are  all  propagated  from  offsets 
in  order  to  preserve  them  true  to  name,  and  as  it  requires  from 
eighteen  months  to  two  years  to  get  an  offset  to  the  flowering 
.stage,  they  are  expensive  plants.  Abbe  Liszt,  one  of  the  finest 
green-edge  varieties,  though  not  new,  still  costs  15s.  a  plant, 
and  no  ShoAv  variety  Avhatever  is  offered  under  2s.  6d. 
