68 HISTORY OF THE TUI.IP. 



Haarlem, repaired thither ; and, after purchasing it at an enormous 

 price, placed it on a flagstone and pounded it to a mummy with his 

 foot, exclaiming with exultation, " Now my Tulip is unique " In 

 another instance, a person who possessed a yearly income of £2,800, 

 was reduced to beggary in the short space of four months by pur- 

 chasing flowers. The Dutch government were at length obliged to 

 issue a proclamation to suppress this ruinous excess. 



This mania never reached England, from the unsettled state of the 

 country at that period. The mania for Tulips bas long ceased 

 among the Dutch, and is now with them a mere settled matter of 

 trade. Examples even in our times are not wanting of the enormous 

 prices given for bulbs by florists. In the year 1835, a meeting of 

 florists was held at Ghent, and a Tulip was named by them " The 

 Citadel of Antwerp," which was afterwards sold to an amateur florist 

 of the name of Yanderninck, of Amsterdam, for £650. 



Our English florists have also raised Tulips for which high prices 

 have been obtained, and now rival the Dutch in this fascinating class 

 of flowers. They have for some years paid much attention to raising 

 them from seed, and it may not be uninteresting to state a few of the 

 earliest and most celebrated English raisers. A Rev. Mr. Wood, ot 

 City Gardens, City-road, who died about the year 1805, left behind 

 him a very fine collection of Tulips. They were sold, in the first 

 instance, to Mr. William Gabel, and by him returned in a very dis- 

 ordered state, and sold to Mr. Drinkwater and Mr. Davis, who had 

 gardens in the same vicinity. It is supposed that the Tulip called 

 Strong's King, so celebrated in the south, was broken from one of 

 his breeders. Mr. Pearson, of Chilwell, near Nottingham, also 

 stood high for a short time; but other varieties were raised, that 

 threw him in the back ground. Mr. Austin, of Clapton, raised 

 breeders, but none of much note. Mr. Holmes raised some very 

 fine varieties, one of which, Louis XVIII., was sold to John Gold- 

 ham, Esq., of Pentonville, for £42 ; and the whole of the stock is 

 in that gentleman's possession. Mr. Maddocks, of Walworth, raised 

 the " Glory of Walworth," and " Imperatrix Florum," two varieties 

 much admired in the north as first-rate stage flowers. Mr. Strong, 

 of Brook Green, Hammersmith, is well known to have raised many 

 choice varieties from his breeders ; but Mr. Clarke, a name which 

 ought to be cherished by every Tulip-fancier, ranks the highest as a 



