192 THE HYACINTH. 



In the neighbourhood of Haarlem, in the province 

 of South Holland, the greatest and principal display 

 of hyacinths, tulips, jonquilles, irises, &c. is to be 

 seen; and my friend visited in succession the gar- 

 dens of George Voorhelm Schneevooght, of Henry 

 Cornelis, of Theodore Storm, of H. Polman Mooy, 

 and some others. 



The Dutch florist has his tricks and finesse, as 

 well as the English : he would persuade you, that 

 when you have seen his collection, there is nothing 

 in Holland besides worth looking at; his are the 

 choicest, cheapest, and best; nor would he direct 

 you, if he could possibly avoid it, to the residence 

 or garden of any other florist. His tallies, or num- 

 ber-sticks, do not appear, and of course neither 

 offend the eye nor take from the effect. If you ask 

 him the name of a flower that has escaped his 

 memory for the moment, he stoops down, scratches 

 the ground with his fingers, feels for the concealed 

 tally, and draws it up; which having examined, he 

 replaces it again, and smooths the surface as it was 

 before. 



