302 THROUGH THE FIELDS WITH LINNAEUS 



vatory ; but the mania of a century before, 1636, when 

 tulip-roots passed from hand to hand like bank notes, 

 could never be revived. 



The Jacobea lily (Amaryllis formosissima) now first 

 blossoming in Europe, was a gem of the cool greenhouse 

 and ' nature herself favoured Linnaeus in causing 

 through his diligence and care the fine plantain tree, 1 

 also to bloom in Holland for the first time, which was 

 looked upon through the whole country as a wonder. 2 

 Even Boerhaave himself came to Hartecamp to get a 

 demonstration of this musa ; described for posterity in 

 the treatise that was afterwards published under the 

 name of Musa Cliffortiana, whereby every gardener has 

 been enabled to bring forward its flowers.' 3 Linnaeus 

 here acquired great practical knowledge of plants, in- 

 cluding palms, which he called the princes of vegetation. 4 

 He visited every month the gardens of Amsterdam, 

 Utrecht, and Leyden, but every day that of Hartecamp. 5 



The situation of Hartecamp is the pleasantest in 

 Holland ; it has the sandhills of the North Sea for its 

 horizon on the west, from which quarter the breeze 

 blows during the greater part of the year and bends the 

 trees landward. The young Swede rejoiced in the sea 



1 Musa paradisaica. 2 Stoever. 



3 This tree flowers at Kew Gardens Oct. to Dec. The fruit 

 begins to set in April. 



4 * Man dwells naturally within the tropics, and lives on the 

 fruit of the Palm tree ; he exists in other parts of the world, and 

 there makes shift to feed on com and flesh.' LINN^US on Palms. 

 ' Honour the date-tree, for she is your mother.' MAHOMET'S com- 

 mandment. 5 Diary. 



