8th February, A. D. 1894. 



ESSAY 



BY 



ROBERT FARQUHAR, Boston, Mass. 

 Theme : Bulbs and Tubers. 



I PROPOSE giving you some particulars of a recent visit to Holland and 

 the famous bulb gardens in and around Haarlem, and I shall endeavor 

 to describe the methods of cultivation practised by the leading Dutch 

 bulb growers. I shall not occupy your time with any remarks upon 

 our voyage across the ocean and the strange mixture of discomfort 

 and pleasure experienced by every passenger on an Atlantic steamer. 

 Suffice it to say that on the gray of a July morning we sighted the 

 Dutch coast. The land lay before us, flat and low, like a great green 

 sea on which the huge sails of numerous windmills seemed to take the 

 place of the sailing craft on the blue sea behind us. To reach Rotter- 

 dam we sailed up the river Maas several miles. 



All along the sides of the river heavy stakes or trunks of trees are 

 driven about a foot apart to protect the banks. In many places strong- 

 willows are also worked in, basket fashion, as a further protection ; 

 the protruding tops of the stakes being the framework . On the banks 

 grow the dyke grass, the roots of which band themselves together 

 inseparably, holding the loose sandy soil in place. This grass is 

 planted on nearly all sea, river, and canal banks in the Netherlands. 

 Proceeding up the broad river numerous evidences of the patient in- 

 dustry of the people are presented. On either side the low, level fields 

 stretch for miles, intersected by ditches and canals. Everywhere the 

 cultivation seems almost perfect and the crops are exceedingly luxuri- 

 ant. Large herds of black and white cattle, numerous windmills, and 

 here and there a canal boat moving slowly along pleasantly relieve 

 what would otherwise be a very monotonous landscape. At length we 

 enter the harbor of Rotterdam, which, for Holland, is quite a large 

 and stirring city. 

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