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TULIP (Tulipa)

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Originally appearing in Volume V27, Page 367 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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TULIP (Tulipa) , a genus of bulbous herbs belonging to the See also:Liliaceae. The See also:species are found See also:wild along the See also:northern shores of the Mediterranean, in the See also:Levant, See also:Armenia, See also:Caucasus, Northern See also:Africa, See also:Persia, and sporadically across See also:North and Central See also:Asia to See also:Japan. The See also:cup-shaped See also:flowers have six See also:regular segments in two rows, as many See also:free stamens, and a three-celled ovary with a sessile stigma, which ripens into a leathery many-seeded See also:capsule. The species are numerous, and are distinguished one from another by the scales of the bulb being woolly or smooth on the inner See also:surface, by the See also:character of the See also:flower-stalks, by the filaments being hairy or otherwise, and by other characters. Owing to the See also:great beauty of the flowers they have been favourites in See also:European gardens for two or three centuries, and have been crossed and recrossed till it has become almost impossible to refer the See also:plants to their See also:original types. The See also:early flowering " See also:Van Thol " tulips, the segments of which are mostly See also:scarlet with yellow edges, are derived from T. suaveolens, a native of the See also:Caspian region. T. Gesneriana, a native of Armenia and central See also:Russia, is the origin of some of the later flowering varieties. T. pubes-tens, which is probably a hybrid between the two species just named, is the source of some of the early flowering kinds known as Pottebakker, &c. T. oculus-See also:solis and T. Clusiana are lovely species, natives of See also:southern See also:Europe, and T. silvestris,with elegant yellow flowers, is a doubtful native of See also:England. More recently, owing to the exertions of See also:Russian naturalists, a large number of new species have been discovered in See also:Turkestan, and introduced into Europe.

Some of these are very beautiful, and render it probable that by intercrossing with the older species still further difficulties will be presented in the way of See also:

identification. These difficulties are further enhanced by the fact that, quite apart from any See also:cross-breeding, the plants, when subjected to cultivation, vary so greatly in the course of two or three years from the original species from which they are directly descended that their See also:parent-See also:age is scarcely recognizable. This innate See also:power of variation has enabled the florist to obtain, and ultimately to " See also:fix," so many remarkable varieties. At the See also:present See also:day tulips of all kinds are much more extensively grown than at any previous See also:period. Not only are millions of bulbs cultivated in See also:Holland for export every See also:year, but thousands are now also grown for the same purpose in the Channel Islands, more particularly in See also:Guernsey. Of See also:late years tulips have become very popular in See also:America, and an extensive See also:trade is now done between the U.S.A. and Europe.- The enormous prices once given for rare varieties of tulip bulbs no longer obtain, though, even now, two and three guineas are asked for See also:special bulbs. It must, how- ever, be remembered that the " tulipomania " of the 17th See also:century was really a See also:form of gambling, in which admiration of the flower and See also:interest in its culture were very secondary matters. Tulips were introduced into the See also:Low Countries in the 16th century from See also:Constantinople and the Levant. The florists' varieties of tulips, which have sprung from Tulipa Gesneriana, are arranged in See also:separate classes named bizarres, bybloemens and See also:roses, according to their See also:colour and marking. Tulips are readily raised from seeds, and the seedlings when they first flower (after about 7 years cultivation) are of one colour—that is, they are self-coloured. Judged by the florists' rules, they are either See also:good or See also:bad in form, and pure or stained (See also:white or yellow) at the See also:base; the badly formed and stained flowers are thrown away, while the good and pure are grown on, these being known as " breeder " tulips. The breeder bulbs and their offsets may grow on for years producing only self-coloured flowers, but after a See also:time, which is varied and indefinite, some of the progeny " break," that is, produce flowers with the variegation which is or See also:purple, or a See also:rose when it has a white ground marked with rose colour.

One of the most important of the properties of a See also:

fine florists' tulip is that the cup should form, when See also:expanded, from See also:half to a third of a hollow See also:ball, the six divisions of the perianth being broad at the ends, and smooth at the edges, so that the divisions may scarcely show on See also:indenture. Another is that the ground colour should be clear and distinct, whether white or yellow. The least stain at the base of the flower, technically called the " bottom," would render a tulip comparatively value-less. What are called " feathered " flowers are those which have an even See also:close feathering, forming an unbroken edging of colour all See also:round, " flamed " flowers being those which have a See also:beam or bold See also:mark down the centre, not reaching to the bottom of the cup. Tulips flourish in any good See also:garden See also:soil that has been deeply dug or trenched and manured the previous See also:season. To secure perfect drainage and greater warmth a See also:fair quantity of See also:sand or grit. should he present. Fresh manure should be avoided, but the remains from an old hot-See also:bed or See also:mushroom bed may be incorporated. The best time to plant is in See also:September and See also:October, the bulbs being buried about 6 in. deep and the same distance apart. The best effects are produced in formal beds by planting the same variety in each, to secure the plants being of the same height and in flower simultaneously. In mixed flower See also:borders, mixed varieties may be planted. After planting the space between the rows of tulips may be planted with such plants as forget-me-nots, wallflowers, silenes, violas, See also:double white arabis, polyanthuses, &c., to obtain beautiful colour combinations in See also:spring. See also:Propagation—Tulips are usually increased by offsets, which most varieties produce in fairly large See also:numbers.

These are taken off and sown in drills, like See also:

seed. They are usually strong enough to flower the third year from this See also:sowing. Some varieties produce offsets sparingly and must be increased by seed—a slow and uncertain method. New varieties are raised from seed. (The colour variation in the flowers of seedlings is discussed above.) Seeds are sown in boxes or See also:cold frames, in See also:light sandy soil, and the See also:young plants are allowed to remain undisturbed until the second year. They are then lifted and treated like offsets, being sown thinly in beds out of doors. They usually flower in about the seventh year. The soil in which tulips are propagated should be sandy, free working and thoroughly drained. A warm sheltered position is a See also:necessity. Cultivation Out of Doors.—Planting is best effected during September, October and early See also:November. It is usual thoroughly to dig and manure the ground in preparation. Holes 6 to 8 in. apart and 5 in. deep are then made with a dibber.

Sometimes a little loose See also:

earth or sand is put in to the See also:depth of about i in., and the bulbs laid singly thereon, the holes being closed by the dibber and the whole raked over. Valuable varieties are planted at about the same depth, with a See also:trowel, a little sand being placed around them. Unless seed is required, the young capsules shculd be removed as soon as the perianth has withered, to conserve the strength of the bulb. The plants should be See also:left until the leaves begin to See also:wither, unless it becomes necessary to lift them to make way for other plants. When lifted they should be laid thinly in a well shaded, See also:airy spot to dry. The tops can then be removed and the bulbs sorted and stored thinly in trays in a cool dry See also:place. Rare bulbs may be wrapped singly in See also:tissue See also:paper for storing. In Pots and Forcing.—The early flowering 'varieties should be potted as early in September as practicable, later batches for See also:succession being potted during October. Pots 5 and 6 in. in See also:diameter are the most convenient. The tops should be covered with i in. of soil, and about half an See also:inch left for See also:water. The soil should be a light and fairly See also:rich compost, comprising about 2 parts See also:loam, i See also:part decayed manure or See also:horse droppings that have been thoroughly sweetened, i part See also:leaf See also:mould and half a part of sand. Pot firmly, and plunge the pots in several inches of ashes out of doors, to protect the bulbs from See also:frost.

As soon as growth commences at the See also:

top and a fair amount of roots are formed they may be introduced into See also:gentle See also:heat, in batches according to the need and the amount of stock available. For See also:market a slightly different method is adopted. The bulbs are placed in See also:long shallow boxes, plunged in soil or ashes in the open See also:air, and are later introduced as required into heat in semi-darkness, and are afterwards transferred to benches in the forcing houses where they flower. Bulbs which have been forced are of no further value for that particular purpose. If planted in borders and shrubberies, however, they will continue to See also:bear fairly good blossoms in the open air for several seasons. Varieties.—The following varieties are among the most useful for bedding and pot culture. Early Single Flowering Kinds: Name. Colour. Height. Duc van Thol . . . Various 6 in.

Adelaine Rose See also:

Carmine Artus Dark Scarlet Bacchus Dark See also:Crimson Belle See also:Alliance . . . Crimson Scarlet See also:Canary See also:Bird . . . Yellow Chrysolora . . . . Yellow Cottage Maid . . . See also:Pink and White Duchess de See also:Parma . . See also:Orange Crimson See also:Gold See also:Finch . . See also:Golden Yellow . Joost van See also:Vondel .

. Crimson, flaked White . Keisers Kroon . . . Scarlet and Yellow, superb La Reine . . . flower See also:

Lac van Rhijn . . . White (when forced) and Pink. See also:Ophir d'Or . . . . Rosy See also:Violet Pottebakker . . . Golden Yellow See also:Primrose See also:Queen .

. Scarlet, White, Yellow vars Proserpina . . . Primrose Rose Gris de lin Rosy Carmine, superb flower . See also:

Thomas See also:Moore . . . White and Pink White See also:Hawk . . . Terra-See also:cotta Yellow See also:Prince . . . Pure White Yellow 7 ,, 8 „ 7 „ 8 ,, 10-12 9 „ 12 „ 10 „ 12 ,, 9 ,, to „ 9 „ 9 „ 8 ,, 12 „ 9 „ 9 „ 9 ,, 9 „ to „ 8 „ Early Double Flowering Kinds: Name. Colour. Height.

Duc van Thol . . . Red, edged Yellow 6 in. See also:

Alba See also:Maxima . . . Pure White 9 ., Couronne d'Or . . . Yellow and Orange 9 Gloria Solis . . . . Orange Crimson 9 ,, Imperator rubrorum . Crimson Scarlet 9 „ La Candeur . . .

Pure White . . . 8 Leonardo da See also:

Vinci . . Crimson and Gold . . . . Tournesol . . . . Scarlet and Yellow . . . . 8 „ Late Single Flowering Kinds: These are tall-growing See also:hardy kinds, suitable for herbaceous borders where they can be left undisturbed. With them may be associated what are now popularly known as " See also:Darwin " tulips, beautiful long-stemmed kinds with self See also:colours, and the " Cottage " or " May-flowering " tulips, all easily grown in See also:ordinary garden soil. Name.

Colour. Name. Colour. Bouton d'Or Golden Yellow. Gesneriana . See also:

Bright Scarlet. See also:Caledonia . Orange Scarlet. Gesneriana See also:Columbus . Yellow and lutea Yellow. See also:Vermilion. Picotee .

. White,edged Pink. Fulgens . . Violet Crimson. The Fawn. See also:

Dove Colour. See also:Parrot Tulips.—T his late flowering See also:group is supposed to be derived from the curious See also:green and yellow striped T. viridiflora. The flowers are mostly heavy and drooping, petals brightly coloured, the edges being curiously notched and waved. Name. Colour. Name. Colour. Rubra See also:Major Dark Red.

Lutea Major Yellow, Crimson Mark Graaf . Yellow, striped MonstreRouge and Green. Perfecta . . Scarlet. Crimson. Yellow, Scarlet and Green.

End of Article: TULIP (Tulipa)

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