TROUBLE WITH TULIPS

Evening Star, Issue 21748, 16 June 1934, Page 25

TROUBLE WITH TULIPS

VARIEGATED FLOWERS " Broken " tulips are varieties in which the flower shows striping or variegation. This takes the form of long stripes of white or pale colour (or sometimes darker shades of the ground colour), and leathering is frequently seen near the edge. Some of the patterns are very attractive, and since the bulbs come time many-useful varieties have been obtained in this way. Broken varieties are not now so popular as the self-coloured varieties, but formerly they were highly prized (says tire Auckland ' Herald gardening contributor). It has been shown during recent years that "breaking” is really a mosaic disease, and under suitable conditions is highly infectious. The " breaking :: can be transmitted artificially by bulb grafting, and also by aphids. In nature it is partially spread by aphids feeding on the bulbs in store. Very frequently the leaves are also affected, showing pale green striping and mottling. The plant is also reduced in size and will not give such a large crop of flowers and of bulbs as a normal healthy plant. There are two types of ‘‘ breaking” —the " self-break ” or " red break,” in which the ground colour is intensified in the streaks, and “ clear break ” or " white break,” in which the ground colour is absent, " Broken ” varieties never recover, although they may produce a few healthy offsets. If aphids are kept down in store there is no danger of tlie disease spreading, but it is also advisable to rogue out plants which bear broken flowers.