THE ARISTOCRAT OF THE BULB GARDENS 91 



also if, as is not often the case round Haarlem, the 

 ground is stiff to soften it fit for the bulbs. In 

 the spring it is manured : for tulips there is not 

 such heavy manuring as for hyacinths, these last 

 are by far the fattest liking of all the bulbs. It 

 is possible, in fact it is often advisable, to grow 

 tulips one year on the ground which was used for 

 hyacinths the year before, this without any further 

 enriching. After the spring manuring many of 

 the bulb fields are let to market men, who grow 

 vegetables there, but with the understanding that 

 all must be removed and the ground cleared in 

 August, for, though tulips are not put in until the 

 end of September, some other bulbs are planted 

 earlier, so the rule is usually made to apply to all 

 fields. The tulip bulbs are set by hand, four or five 

 inches apart and four inches below the surface, and 

 left untouched until it is time to cover them with 

 straw for the winter. The covering in their case 

 is very light, not more than half an inch thick, for 

 tulips are perfectly hardy, and need no protection 

 from the cold ; but the sandy soil is so light that, 

 unless something were put on it, it would be blown 

 away in the high winds and the bulbs left bare. 

 The flowering time covers a good while, beginning 

 in mild springs with Due van Tholl in the early 



