Sharp County record., 1890-05-29
THE GAUDY TULIPS.
sensational History Of Very Popular
Spring Flower.


Spring Flower.
The tulip was first made known NV
botanical description and figure in 1859
by Conrad Gessner, famous Swiss
naturalist, who was born in Zurich,
March 20, 1916, and who was the founder
Of the botanic garden in that place, and
who also drew and painted more than
1900 plants for History OF Plants on
which he was at work
The plant from which Gessner made
his drawings was at Augsburg, in the
garden Of John Henry Harwart, and the
seed from which it was raised is said to
have come from the Leyant. 1t is sup.
posed that it was introduced into Eng
land about 1880, for IIakluyt in 1852
writes as follows; Now within these
four years there have been brought into
England from Vienna, in Austria, divers
kinds OF flowers called Tullpas."
1t is native OF the hovant, Linn@us
says of Cappadocia, and is supposed by
some to be the lily Of the field spoken OF
by our Saviour. Its name Tulla was
given on account Of its supposed re-
semblance to a turban, a resemblance
which Moore in "Lalla Rookh" thus
describes:
What triumphs crowns the rich divan to-day,
With turbaned heads Of every hue and race,
Bowing before that vailed and awful face,
Like tulipbeds OF different shape and dyes,
Bending beneath the invisible west winds
sighs,
The Turks are said to be especially
fond of the tulip, and that the red sort
is used as an emblem by which lover
makes known his passion for his mis-
tress, for, according to an anonymous
writer on flower lore, "whcn glowing in
all its native charms, with its petals OF
fire and its scorchod and blackened
heart, it proclaims, in spite of bolts and
bars, to the ear of listening beauty that
lover sighs in her vicinity, and that,
if she will but appear for but moment,
one glance will impart fire to his eyes
and consume his heart"
Early in the spring the Turks celo-
brate what they call the Feast of Tulips,
and in olden times in tho Sultan's Sc
raglio the day was observed with great
pomp and splendor 1t is said that a
stage was erected and seats arranged for
spectators. The former was covered
with rich carpeting and ornamentcd
with great numbers of large crystal
vases filled with the most beautiful tu-
lips obtainable; fountains of rose water
and perfumcd tapers filled the air with
fragrance, and colored lamps gave tho
place an appearance Of fairy land. About
these vases Of gaudy tulips young Cir
cassian girls performed their national
dances, keeping step with the softest
and most delicious music, while they
sang to the beauties Of the tulip. Dur
ing this feast the Sultan subjects laid
at his feet their gifts and renewed their
pledges Of devotion.
While in the language of flowers tho
tulip is used to designate declaration
of love, it has also by somo on account
Of its elegant form, the beauty of its
colors and its want of fragrance and 9TH
er useful qualities, been considered an
appropriate symbol Of u woman who pos
sesses no recommendation but beauti-
ful appearance.
Like many other of tho familiar How-
ers, to the tulip is given NEUROLOGICAL
origin. Francis Gcntil, lay brother
OF the order of Carthusians, who lived
in tho latter part of the fifteenth centu-
ry, gave the following quaint rondcrn :
of the story, a few lines only being
omittcd "Tho first tulips were brought
from Dalmatia, whore there was form err
ly young girl of the same name with
this Flower, whose Mother was q Nymph
OF the Fountain Timayi, and the Father
was Proteus who changed his shapes
every moment, and, as children natural
ly take after them who gave them Be-
ing, Tulipa's Fancy ran upon thou
sand different things, with which sho
was amusing herself one day. when the
God Nortumnus, after Sauntering up
and down the World, came at last to IL
lyrium, and there perceived this Nymph
sitting upon the brink OF her Mothers
Fountain. She was handsome, and he
was charmed with her, but when he bo-
gan to offer her his tender addresses,
Tulipa was so far from listening to him,
that she speedily took to flight, Ner-
tumnus, fired by Love, and being scnsi.
bic withal that this Nymph took great
pleasure in diversity OF colors, turns
himself into different shapes and colors
every moment; but all was in vain, and
the God finding his wishes balked and
his artihcos Intellectual, Joined to his
Request Prayers, which were equally
Useless, At last, finding that all his
iodhead could notinluonco the Nymph,
lttomrtod violent measures, on which
despair Tulipa cried out TO the Gods
II her Country for Succour, and the Gods,
omplying with hcrrcqucst transformed
ter into the flower that to this day goes
" her name, e,"-Philadclphia Ledger
An old custom formerly prevalent
many parts OF England was that OF
heaying' or "lifting," mostly perform.
A L.. a. A