TRAVEL IN EUROPE 277 



law-abiding and skilful. The men do not work as 

 slavishly as do most American farmers, since little 

 tillage is practised, the land being given over to 

 hay and pasturage. Most of the land has been 

 reclaimed from marsh, lake and sea, and is natur- 

 ally moist and fertile; and, unlike the land in our 

 own country, it retains and even increases its pro- 

 ductive power. One must praise the skill and 

 perseverance of these low-country farmers, but 

 most of all I admired the contained, simple and 

 intelligent life of both landowners and tenants 

 whose acres have grown no less rich by use after 

 hundreds of years. 



The city of Haarlem interested me very much as 

 it is the center of the culture of Hyacinths, Tulips, 

 Auriculas and Carnations. Holland claims the 

 merit of having promoted floriculture to a greater 

 extent than any other country in the world. As 

 early as 1836 and 1837 the flower trade of Hol- 

 land assumed the form of a mania and many peo- 

 ple speculated in bulbs to their great gain. It is 

 recorded that a " Sempre Augustus " tulip bulb 

 was sold for 13,000 florins $5,220 and an 

 "Admiral Eukhuizen " for 5,000 florins $2,000. 

 A single Dutch town is said to have gained up- 

 wards of ten million florins by the sale of tulip 





