For the smell also there is some diuersity; for that the flowers of some are very sweete, of others nothing at all, and some betweene both, of a small sent, but not offensiue: and yet some I haue obserued haue had a strong ill sent; but how to shew you to distinguish them, more then by your owne sense, I cannot: for the seedes of sweete smelling Tulipas doe not follow their mother plant, no more then they doe in the colour.
And lastly, take this, which is not the least obseruation, worth the noting, that I haue obserued in many: When they haue beene of one entire colour for diuers yeares, yet in some yeare they haue altered very much, as if it had not beene the same, viz. from a purple or stamell, it hath beene variably either parted, or mixed, or striped with white, eyther in part, or through the whole flower, and so in a red or yellow flower, that it hath had eyther red or yellow edges, or yellow or red spots, lines, veines, or flames, running through the red or yellow colour, and sometimes it hath happened, that three leaues haue been equally parted in the middle with red yellow, the other three abiding of one colour, and in some the red had some yellow in it, and the yellow some red spots in it also; whereof I haue obserued, that all such flowers, not hauing their originall in that manner, (for some that haue such or the like markes from the beginning, that is, from the first and second yeares flowring, are constant, and doe not change) but as I said, were of one colour at the first, doe shew the weaknesse and decay of the roote, and that this extraordinary beauty in the flower, is but as the brightnesse of a light, vpon the very extinguishing thereof, and doth plainly declare, that it can doe his Master no more seruice, and therefore with this iollity doth bid him good night. I know there is a common opinion among many (and very confidently maintained) that a Tulipa with a white flower, hath changed to beare a red or yellow, and so of the red or yellow, and other colours, that they are likewise inconstant, as though no flowers were certaine: but I could neuer either see or heare for certaine any such alteration, nor any other variation, but what is formerly expressed. Let not therefore any iudicious be carried away with any such idle conceit, but rather suspect some deceit in their Gardeners or others, by taking vp one, and putting in another in the place, or else their owne mistaking.
Now for the sowing, planting, transplanting, choise, and ordering of Tulipas, which is not the least of regard, concerning this subiect in hand, but (as I think) would be willingly entertained; What I haue by my best endeauours learned, by mine owne paines in almost forty yeares trauell, or from others informations, I am willing here to set downe; not doubting, but that some may adde what hath not come to my knowledge.
First, in the sowing of seedes of Tulipas, I haue not obserued (whatsoeuer others haue written) nor could of certainty learne of others, that there doth arise from the seedes of Præcoces any Medias or Serotine Tulipas, (or but very seldome) nor am certainly assured of any: but that the seedes of all Præcoces (so they be not doubtfull, or of the last flowring sorts) will bring Præcoces: And I am out of doubt, that I neuer saw, nor could learne, that euer the seede of the Medias or Serotines haue giuen Præcoces; but Medias or Serotines, according to their naturall kinde. But if there should bee any degeneration, I rather incline to thinke, that it sooner commeth to passe (à meliore ad pelus, for facilis est descensus, that is) that Præcoces may giue Medias, then that Medias or Serotines should giue Præcoces.
For the choise of your seede to sowe. First, for the Præcoces, Clusius saith, that the Præcox Tulipa, that beareth a white flower, is the best to giue the greatest variety of colours. Some among vs haue reported, that they haue found great variety rise from the seede of the red Præcox, which I can more hardly beleeue: but Clusius his experience hath the greater probability, but especially if it haue some mixture of red or purple in it. The purple I haue found to be the best, next thereunto is the purple with white edges, and so likewise the red with yellow edges, each of them will bring most of their owne colours. Then the choise of the best Medias, is to take those colours that are light, rather white then yellow, and purple then red; yea white, not yellow, purple, not red: but these againe to be spotted is the best, and the more the better; but withall, or aboue all in these, respect the ground or bottome of the flower, (which in the Præcox Tulipa cannot, because you shall seldome see any other ground in them but yellow) for if the flower be white, or whitish, spotted, or edged, and straked, and the bottome blew or purple (such as is found in the Holias, and in the Cloth of siluer), this is beyond all other the most excellent, and out of question the choisest of an hundred, to haue the greatest and most pleasant variety and rarity. And so in degree, the meaner, in beauty you sowe, the lesser shall your pleasure in rarities be. Bestowe not your time in sowing red or yellow Tulipa seede, or the diuers mixtures of them; for they will (as I haue found by experience) seldome be worth your paines. The Serotina, or late flowring Tulipa, because it is seldome seene, with any especiall beautifull variety, you may easily your selues ghesse that it can bring forth (euen as I haue also learned) no raritie, and little or no diuersity at all.
The time and manner to sowe these seedes is next to be considered. You may not sowe them in the spring of the yeare, if you hope to haue any good of them; but in the Autumne, or presently after they be thorough ripe and dry: yet if you sowe them not vntill the end of October, they will come forward neuer the worse, but rather the better; for it is often seene, that ouer early sowing causeth them to spring out of the ground ouer early, so that if a sharp spring chance, to follow, it may go neere to spoile all, or the most of your seede. Wee vsually sowe the same yeares seede, yet if you chance to keepe of your owne, or haue from others such seed, as is two years old, they will thriue and doe well enough especially if they were ripe and well gathered: You must not sowe them too thicke, for so doing hath lost many a pecke of good seede, as I can tell; for if the seede lye one vpon another, that it hath not roome vpon the sprouting, to enter and take roote in the earth, it perisheth by and by. Some vse to tread downe the ground, where they meane to sowe their seede, and hauing sowne them thereon, doe couer them ouer the thicknesse of a mans thumbe with fine sifted earth, and they thinke they doe well, and haue good reason for it: for considering the nature of the young Tulipa rootes, is to runne downe deeper into the ground, euery yeare more then other, they thinke to hinder their quicke descent by the fastnesse of the ground, that so they may encrease the better. This way may please some, but I doe not vse it, nor can finde the reason sufficient; for they doe not consider, that the stiffenesse of the earth, doth cause the rootes of the young Tulipas to bee long before they grow great, in that a stiffe ground doth more hinder the well thriuing of the rootes, then a loose doth, and although the rootes doe runne downe deeper in a loose earth, yet they may easily by transplanting be holpen, and raised vp high enough. I haue also seene some Tulipas not once remoued from their sowing to their flowring; but if you will not lose them, you must take them vp while their leafe or stalk is fresh, and not withered: for if you doe not follow the stalke downe to the roote, be it neuer so deepe, you will leaue them behinde you. The ground also must be respected; for the finer, softer, and richer the mould is, wherein you sowe your seede, the greater shall be your encrease and varietie: Sift it therefore from all stones and rubbish, and let it be either fat naturall ground of it selfe, or being muckt, that it bee thoroughly rotten: but some I know, to mend their ground, doe make such a mixture of grounds, that they marre it in the making.
After the seede is thus sowne, the first yeares springing bringeth forth leaues, little bigger then the ordinary grasse leaues; the second yeare bigger, and so by degrees euery yeare bigger then other. The leaues of the Præcoces while they are young, may be discerned from the Medias by this note, which I haue obserued. The leaues of them doe wholly stand vp aboue the ground, shewing the small footstalkes, whereby euerie leafe doth stand, but the leaues of the Medias or Serotines doe neuer wholly appeare out of the ground, but the lower part which is broad, abideth vnder the vpper face of the earth. Those Tulipas now growing to bee three yeares old, (yet some at the second, if the ground and ayre be correspondent) are to bee taken vp out of the ground, wherein yee shall finde they haue runne deepe, and to be anew planted, after they haue been a little dryed and cleansed, eyther in the same, or another ground againe, placing them reasonable neare one vnto another, according to their greatnesse, which being planted and couered ouer with earth againe, of about an inch or two thicknesse, may be left vntaken vp againe for two yeare longer, if you will, or else remoued euery yeare after, as you please; and thus by transplanting them in their due season (which is still in the end of Iuly, or beginning of August, or thereabouts) you shall according to your seede and soyle, haue some come to bearing, in the fifth yeare after the flowring, (and some haue had them in the fourth, but that hath beene but few, and none of the best, or in a rich ground) some in the sixth and seuenth, and some peraduenture, not vntill the eighth or tenth yeare: but still remember, that as your rootes grow greater, that in re-planting you giue them the more roome to be distant one from another, or else the one will hinder, if not rot the other.
The seede of the Præcoces doe not thriue and come forward so fast as the Medias or Serotines, nor doe giue any of-sets in their running downe as the Medias doe, which vsually leaue a small roote at the head of the other that is runne downe euery yeare; and besides, are more tender, and require more care and attendance then the Medias, and therefore they are the more respected.
This is a generall and certaine rule in all Tulipas, that all the while they beare but one leafe, they will not beare flower, whether they bee seedlings, or the of-sets of elder rootes, or the rootes themselues, that haue heretofore borne flowers; but when they shew a second leafe, breaking out of the first, it is a certaine signe, that it will then beare a flower, vnlesse some casualty hinder it, as frost or raine, to nip or spoile the bud, or other vntimely accident befall it.
To set or plant your best and bearing Tulipas somewhat deeper then other rootes, I hold it the best way; for if the ground bee either cold, or lye too open to the cold Northerne ayre, they will be the better defended therein, and not suffer the frosts or cold to pierce them so soone: for the deepe frosts and snowes doe pinch the Præcoces chiefly, if they bee too neare the vppermost crust of the earth; and therefore many, with good successe, couer ouer their ground before Winter, with either fresh or old rotten dung, and that will maruellously preserue them. The like course you may hold with seedlings, to cause them to come on the forwarder, so it bee after the first yeares sowing, and not till then.