June 22, 1907 



HORTICULTURE 



809 



Usefulness of the Late Tulips 



It is very gratifying to note the great interest that 

 has been taken tliis season in the different species and 

 varieties of tulips. Undoubtedly, the coolness of the 

 season is largely responsible for this great revival. 

 There has been more actual interest this season than 

 has been shown for several decades, not only in this 

 country, but all over Europe. 



Tulips have lasted in bloom a long time, giving per- 

 sons a better chance to know them, and to enjoy their 

 pleasing flowers. With the knowledge we have of the 

 various species and varieties there is no reason why we 

 should not enjoy the tulip season for at least two 

 months each year. Many will agree with me that they 

 give us the most conspicuous and brilliant display of 

 any hardy plants we have in our gardens. Their gaudi- 

 ness and iirilliancy can easily be overdone by planting 

 too large or too many beds. There are many other 

 ways and places besides beds where they can be used to 

 advantage and where their bright colors will be softened 

 and subdiied. 



The tulip has been in cultivation for a very long 

 time and its history is prol)ably more interesting than 

 that of any other cultivated plant we have in our gar- 

 dens. We have read and heard about the enormous 

 prices which have been paid for rare orchids, but never 

 has the craze for orchids or any other class of plants 

 reached such a high point of enthusiasm as was demon- 

 strated during the tulip mania in Holland about three 

 centuries ago. 



THE TULIP MANIA 



In ancient gardening literature there is an account of 

 a public sale in the year 1637 at a place about twenty 

 miles outside of Amsterdam, where one hundred and 

 twenty Inilbs were sold at public auction for the enor- 

 mous price of 90,000 guilders or about $41,187. One of 

 these bulbs called Admiral of Enchyson, with its offsets 

 was afterwards sold for 5,200 guilders or about $3,437. 

 Two others called Brabanters were sold for $1,970. In 

 the middle of the seventeenth century a tulip named 

 Semper Augustus was sold for $4,600, together with a 

 new carriage and pair of horses with harness, the whole 

 being worth about $3,000. At another time a bulb 

 supposed to be the same as the last was sold for twelve 

 acres of good land. It is also of interest to note that 

 not only the names and prices of these valuable varie- 

 ties were set down in the city register, but the weight of 

 each bulb was carefully put down. This craze and 

 siJeculation went on to such an extent that the govern- 

 ment had to step in and put a stop to it. Wlien one 

 reads of the fortunes made and lost with these beautiful 

 plants it is not surprising that we cultivate and love 

 them still. 



Now is the time to make notes and to take account 

 of the kinds we admire the most, so that we can procure 

 them for planting next fall. As we said before we can 



Tulip Golden Crown. 



easily have flowers for at least two months by beginning 

 with the early kinds such as the Due Van Thols, then 

 intermediate kinds and ending up the season with the 

 late Mav flowering species and varieties and the Dar- 

 wins. Nearly every one knows the common early kinds 

 and these notes are written to call attention to the in- 

 termediate and late flowering sorts which are not so 

 well known. Also to point out the excellent qualities 

 they possess as cut flowers. Before the peonies come 

 into bloom there are no plants in blossom out of doors 

 that will compare for cutting with the late species and 

 varieties of tulips. They are graceful and handsome 

 and they possess excellent keeping qualities when cut. 



THE BEST INTERMEDIATE KINDS 



A dozen of the best intermediate kinds would in- 

 clude the following: Artus, scarlet with yellow base; 

 Belle Alliance, scarlet; Chrysolora, yellow; Duchess of 

 Parma, red border with yellow; Cottage Maid, rose 

 pink shaded on white; Keizerskroon, red with yellow 

 l.'order; La Eeine, white; Joost Van Vondel, white; 

 Pottebakkers, scarlet, white and yellow; Proserpine, 

 carmine rose; Vermillion Brilliant, scarlet; Thomas 

 Moore, orange. 



BIZAKEES, BREEDERS, ETC. 



In the bizarres. bybloemens, roses and breeders there 

 are many quaint and pleasing colors. There are many 

 persons who cannot recognize the difference between 

 these kinds. The ijrincipal reason for this is that they 

 are badly mixed up probably by careless handling. We 

 have a bed each of bizarres, bybloemens, roses and breed- 

 ers. The roses and breeders all come true but the 



