September  18,  1902.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
273 
lant.  Use  this  at  each  watering  at  the  rate  of  loz  to  2  gallons 
of  water.  Hyacinths  cannot  be  successfully  flowered  the  second 
year;  we  therefore  plant  the  bulbs  in.  odd  places  in  the  garden. 
Here  they  produce  useful  bits  of  blossom  for  cutting.  The  varie¬ 
ties  most  adapted  for  exhibition  are  nearly  all  single  kinds,  the 
doubles  not  being  so  large  or  handsome  generally. 
Lord  Macaulay,  Charles  Dickens,  Fabiola,  Gertrude,  Moreno, 
Roi  des  Beiges,  Yon.  Schiller,  and  Mrs.  Beecher  Stowe  belong  to 
the  crimson  and  rose  shades. 
In  whites,  La  Grandesse,  Mont  Blanc,  and  Madame  Van  der 
Hoop  are  good;  and  Grandeur  a  Merveille  is  an  excellent  blush 
white,  shown  on  page  267  from  an  illustration  kindly  lent  by 
Messrs'.  E.  P.  Dixon  and  Sons,  of  Hull. 
Czar  Peter,  Grand  Maitre,  Lord  Derby,  and  King  of  the  Blues 
are  fine  in  different  shades  of  blue. 
In  General  Havelock  we  get  quite  a  black  shade  of  colour.  Ida 
is  the  best  yellow  ;  Koh-i-noor,  salmon  pink,  is  a  semi-double 
Hyacinth  that  will  be  satisfactory  for  show  purposes. 
Tulips. — When  well  grown,  the  Tulips  are  among  the  most 
showy  of  spring-flowering  bulbs,  the  colours  being  so  rich  and 
varied.  For  Tulips  we  use  a  compost  of  sound  loam  and  a  fair 
sprinkling  of  grit.  We  do  not  like  manure  in  the  mixture,  for 
anything  that  tends  to  draw  the  leaves  spindly  is  a  detriment  to 
good  culture.  Six-inch  pots  are  employed,  and  in  each  we  place 
three  bulbs.  The  former  are  prepared  by  being  drained  with  pot¬ 
sherds,  and  a  portion  of  the  rough  bits  of  soil  is  placed  over  them. 
The  pot  is  filled  and  pressed  in  fairly  firm,  then  holes  are  made  to 
take  the  bulbs.  In  selecting  these  for  each  pot,  try  to  get  them 
as  even  in  size  as  possible.  Then  we  stand  the  pots  on  a  bed  of 
ashes  in  a  cool  frame,  and  cover  the  ivliole — pots  and  bulbs — to  a 
depth  of  Gin  with  cocoa,  fibre.  The  Tulips  are  left  to  themselves, 
except  in  the  case  of  very  heavy  rains.  They  then  require  some 
protection,  as  it  is  not  desirable  to  let  the  earth  get  soddened.  If 
potted  in  October,  which  is  a  capital  month  for  the  work,  by 
January  they  should  be  taken  from  the  covering  material.  Place 
the  pots  in  a  cool  greenhouse,  and  just  keep  away  frost.  In  this 
position  the  growth  is  steady  and  firm.  Tulips  for  exhibition  may 
not  be  forced.  It  is  only  a  few  of  the  less  fine  sorts  that  are 
adapted  for  that  mode  of  culture.  Give  the  plants  plenty  of 
room,  also  abundance  of  air,  that  the  leaves  may  grow  in  a  sturdy 
manner.  They  will  also  require  from  this  period  plenty  of  mois¬ 
ture.  Once  let  the  roots  get  dry,  the  leaves  will  soon  exhibit  its 
effects. 
As  a  stimulant  for  Tulips,  I  like  manure  water  from  the  farm¬ 
yard,  and  for  a  change  soot  water.  This  gives  a  deep  green  tint 
to  the  foliage.  Tulips  to  be  finely  grown  should  throw  the  bloom 
well  up  from  the  bulb,  with  stiff  leathery  leaves  that  do  not  lop 
Parrot  Tulip,  Crimson  Beauty. 
all  ways,  and,  of  course,  the  blossom  must  be  large.  These  bulbs 
will  flower  fairly  well  the  second  year,  but  not  give  fine  flowers. 
I  do  not  grow  many  varieties,  but  rather  select  those  which  are 
distinct  and  possess  other  qualities. 
There  is  no  better  white  than  White  Joost  van  Vondel.  This 
is  a  sport  from  Joost  van  Vondel,  rosy  crimson.  Proserpine  is  a 
beautiful  flower  of  a  bright  rose  shade.  Keizerskroon  is  scarlet 
edged  yellow.  This  is  a  grand  Tulip.  Fabiola  has  blossoms  of 
red  and  white;  Ophir  d’Or  is  the  best  yellow;  Dresart  is  a  dark 
crimson;  Vermilion  Brilliant,  a  dazzling  red,  is  excellent.  Van 
der  Neer,  purple,  is  very  effective.  Duchesse  de  Parma,  orange 
and  crimson,  is  good.  Cottage  Maid,  white,  edged  pink,  a  well- 
known  favourite.  The  three  Pottebakkers,  white,  yellow,  and 
scarlet,  are  first-rate,  too,  for  pot  culture.  The  above  are  single- 
flowered.  These  appeal  to  me,  as  they  do  to  most  people,  as  being 
the  more  handsome  of  Tulips.  Alba  Maxima,  Imperator  rubro- 
rum,  deep  scarlet,  and  Tournesol,  red  and  yellow,  are  three  of 
the  best  doubles.— H.  G.,  Woking. 
% 
- <*#•> - 
DOUBLE  TULIP,  MURILLO. 
This  is  one  of  the  most  pleasing  double  Tulips  extant;  indeed, 
for  our  own  choice,  we  would  probably  accord  it  the  first  place. 
El  Toreador  is  very  brilliant  ;  Imperator  rubrorum  is  a  glowing 
scarlet  ;  rosea  perfecta,  and  Ross  d’Amour,  and  Salvator  Rosa, 
with  the  Toumesols  and  Vuurbaak,  are  each  meritorious  and 
beautiful,  but  Murillo,  of  rose  colour  and  flushed  with  white,  ever 
remains  a  most  charming  and  lovely  flower.  It  grows  llin  high, 
the  stalks  being  stout,  and  the  flowers  very  full.  They  expand 
widely  under  the  sun’s  influence,  furnishing  an  exceedingly  cheer¬ 
ful  reflection,  for  three  weeks  or  a  month,  in'  good  weather.  It  is 
a  midseason  bloomer,  and  to  obtain  the  best  effect  from  it,  it  is 
advisable  to  plant  it  in  masses  alone.  For  cur  illustration  of  this 
variety  on  page  269,  we  are  indebted  to  Messrs.  W.  Clibran  and 
Sons,  of  Altrincham. 
PARROT  TULIPS. 
The  Parrot  or  Dragon  Tulips  bloom  at  the  same  time  as  the 
Cottage  or  Darwins,  and  no  doubt  receive  their  popular  names  front 
their  gaudy  and  brilliant  colours.  Their  large  loose  petals  are 
laciniated  at  the  edges,  giving  the  flowers  a  wonderful  character 
and  charm.  As  an  instance  of  how  little  known  they  are  by  the 
general  public  we  need  only  cite  a  case  which  occurred  with  our¬ 
selves.  Having  a  large  assorted  bunch  of  all  kinds  of  Tulips,  we 
were  feign  that  others  might  see  and  admire  them,  and  showing 
them  to  some  non-gardening  friends  their  astonishment  was  great 
at  seeing  the  Parrot  varieties,  the  like,  for  colour  and  weird 
elegance,  they  declared  they  had  never  before  seen.  The  admiring 
throngs  at  Kew  who  gaze  at  the  beds  of  Parrot  Tulips  there,  would 
further  prove  that  this  flower  is  appreciated  wherever  it  is  grown 
or  seen.  The  illustration  on  this  page,  and  that  of  Darwin  Tulip 
Loveliiiess,  are  from  Messrs.  J.  Veitch  and  Sons,  Ltd.,  Chelsea. 
To  ensure  a  good  display  of  this  kind  of  Tulip,  it  is  commendable 
to  choose  only  sheltered  beds  or  borders,  and  a  sandy  loam,  plant- 
in  the  bulbs  4in  apart.  They  may  also  be  grown  in  pots  or  hang¬ 
ing  baskets,  in  the  usual  manner.  For  providing  cut  flowers,  we 
are  great  in  their  praise.  There  are  half  a  dozen  good  named 
varieties,  including  Large  Yellow,  Crimson  Beauty,  Perfecta,  and 
Amiral  de  Constantinople. 
- - 
Gadding  and  Gathering, 
“Here  aw  a’,  There  awa’.” 
In  a  visit  to  Long  Ditton  during  the  Tulip’s  flowering  season,  it 
was  part  of  my  business  to  make  note  of  some  of  the  varieties  and 
it  is  to  these  that  the  present  notes  pertain.  Each  variety  is  grown 
in  separate  squares  or  parts  of  a  lengthened  bed,  more  numerously  if 
it  is  popular,  like  the  Cottage  Tulip,  Golden  Queen,  or  less  so  if  its 
merits  are  not  so  well  known  or  appreciated.  The  short  selection  as 
under  are  all  Darwin  varieties — Tulips  with  handsome,  though  not  as 
a  rule  large,  and  distinctly  beautiful  flowers,  which  are  at  perfection 
during  the  earlier  weeks  of  May.  They  are  confidently  recommended 
to  all  for  bed  and  border  culture,  or  for  planting  in  grass  in  the 
manner  recommended  by  Mr.  Dallimorein  another  page  in  this  present 
number.  As  cut  flowers  they  are  stately  and  elegant,  and  for  gentle 
forcing  they  are  invaluable. 
Tulips  at  Ditton. 
Darwin  Varieties. — Antony  Itoozen. — Very  ‘large  and  robust 
pink  edge,  with  deeper  toned  centre.  Grows  2ft. 
Clara  Butt. — A  charming  flower,  colour  rosy-salmon.  Cne  cf  the 
finest,  growing  fully  lift. 
