Page:Things Seen In Holland (1912).djvu/238

 whatever may have been the colours and markings of the flowers from which the seeds were taken. In this state the seedling tulips are called "breeders," and they usually remain in this condition for several years. Then at last comes a spring when several of them "break" into the brilliant colours which we look for in tulips, and into the markings which are called "flamed," or "feathered." They can now be classified under some of the recognized varieties, and are ready for the market. How long it will be before the "breeders" begin to break no one can say, but various devices are tried to hasten the event, such as withholding and then giving water, moving the bulbs from a very poor to a very rich soil, and even sending them to a distance for change of air. When the "breeders" have assumed the desired colours and markings, they are said to be "rectified," but they