The terms breeders, whole blowers, and seed/ings, are all applied to such flowers, raised from seed, as are plain or of one colour, have a good bottom or ground colour, (sIsi ble at the base of the petal,) and are well shaped. They may thus he either bybloemens or bizar•es. The petals of these, in the course of time, break into varibus elegant stripes, according to the nature of their former self-colour. In correct language, the term breeders would mean plants, from the seed of which young tulips are to be raised.
493. The florist's criterion of a fine flower is frequently at variance with that of the world at large. Many tulips which would excite the admiration of thousands, are jected by the connoisseur. The properties of a fine tulip, as set forth in the Florist's Directory, are the following. The stem should be strong and tall, two feet or more. The flower should be large, with six petals ; the petals at the base proceeding for a little way almost horizontally, and then sweeping upwards so as to form an elegant cup, with a rounded bottom, and somewhat wider at top than below. The three outer petals should he rather larger, or broader at the base, than the three inner ones ; all the petals should have the edges perfectly entire ; the top of each should be broad, and well rounded ; the ground colour at the bottom of the cup should be clear white or yellow, free from stain or tinge ; and the various rich stripes, which are the principal ornament of a fine flower, should be regular, bold, and distil:let on the margin, terminating in fine broken points, elegantly feathered or pencilled.; while the centre of each petal should contain one or more bold blotches or stripes of colour mixed with small poi lions of the original or breeder colour, broken into irregular obtuse points ; this last character, however, of central stripes or blotches, not being indispensable, and any trace of the breeder co lour displeasing many florists.
494. The raising of tulips from the seed is a tedious pro cess; but in this way alone are new varieties and vigorous bulbs to be expected. Seed is collected only from flowers of one uniform colour, or which are self-coloured, and at the same time of good shape ; For, contrary to what might naturally be expected, experience, it seems, has shown that the seed or the most beautiful striped tulips does not yield so fine a produce as is got from the plain coloured. The tulips intended for seedling arc planted deeper than usual, perhaps eight or nine incites deep, in order that the stem may be kept longer in a vigorous state ; and they are plac ed in a border where they may enjoy the full benefit of the sun. Towards the end of July the pods begin to open; they are then cut off, and kept, with the seeds in them, in a dry place, till the beginning of September, when the seed is sown. This is generally done in shallow boxes contain
ing fresh light earth ; a covering of about half an inch thick, of the same light or sandy earth, is sifted over them. These boxes are placed in a sheltered situation for the winter. By the middle of March the seedling tulips shew their grass-like first leaves ; these continue green for about two months, and then gradually decay, so that they entirely disappear in June. After another year, the small bulbs are raised, and transplanted into a nursery bed, two inches deep and at two inches apart. If the bed be in an exposed situation, haulm or mats are placed over it during the severity of the winter. In this bed the bulbs remain for the third and fourth years. They are then raised, kept some short time out of the earth, and transplanted to another bed, in which they ate placed four inches separate. Here they remain other two years ; and in this interval many of them begin to shew flowers. Such as have tall stems and rounded petals are now transferred to a separate hed, and treated like full grown bulbs ; and after they have flowered for two or three years, their real value may be pretty nearly ascertained : If they be very promising, that it, tall, well shaped; with clear bottoms, and self-coloured. they are retained for a longer time,. in expectation of improvement. A few come finely striped at once, and are of course retained ; but these are apt quickly to degenerate. Those that appear with short stems and sharp-pointed petals are rejected without hesi tation.
The tendency to break is promoted in the breeders, by shifting the bulbs every season into different kinds of soil, and placing them in different situations. The soils prefer red are such as are fresh, but poor, dry, and sandy. The compost recommended by Miller consists of a third part fresh earth from old pasture land, having the sward rotted with it ; a third part sea-sand ; and a third part old lime rubbish sifted, all well mixed and frequently turned. The beds are made two feet deep, and the bulbs are planted in drills about four inches deep, and six or seven inches from each other in every direction. When a breeder breaks completely, losing all traces of its self•colour, and continu ing till the petals decay without sheaving any tendency to return to its former colour, it is marked, named, and en rolled among the choice tulips, and its offsets are carefully preserved. A tulip, when it. breaks, never attains the height or size of the breeder ; if a breeder be three feet high, its variegated progeny does not exceed two, and the flower is proportionally, less. 'Whether the breaking is the cause or the consequence of debility, does not appear ; hut it seems to be a general fact, that variegated flowers or plants are more tender than such as arc plain.