40 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894. 



pa}^ the highest price. He of course well knew the inwardness of these 

 visits, but it was for his interest to say nothing. 



Many of these farmers raise more bulbs than some dealers who issue 

 catalogues, but from want of enterprise or lack of education have had 

 to depend upon their home markets. They have confined themselves to 

 raising a few leading varieties, usually of hyacinths or tulips. Educa- 

 tion and a knowledge of English have of late become more general, 

 and, consequently, in the past ten years, many of those who grew for 

 the Dutch houses are offering their bulbs in the American and English 

 markets. This lively competition has caused a great decline in prices, 

 much to the annoyance of the wealthy old planters, who for many 

 years reaped a rich harvest of golden guilders unmolested in their 

 monopoly. It must be acknowledged that they still have advantages 

 in the business. They own the land best suited for raising the various 

 kinds. Most of them are wealthy, and growing in immense quantities 

 they can afford to send older and better bulbs than mere speculators. 

 The gardens now cultivated by the best growers we met with in Holland 

 have been owned by members of the same family for many years, in 

 some cases nearly two centuries. 



Pardon a word of caution here to any who may think of visiting 

 Holland at some time to purchase. When you get to Haarlem do not 

 disclose your business to the first dealer you meet. If you buj^ largely 

 he will exert himself to the utmost to interest you. He will show you 

 how bulbs are propagated, cultivated, and cared for through all the 

 stages of their growth. After one whole day spent at his residence, 

 gardens, and storehouses, his carriage will be at your hotel the next, 

 before you are up, to take you to see some of the sights, which he 

 informs you no one ever misses who has time to enjoy them. In 

 short, if he wants you for a customer, he is pretty sure to monopolize 

 all your time so that no rival dealer gets a chance at you. When in 

 Holland we visited a number of the leading gentlemen engaged in 

 bulb growing. They are, indeed, a fine class of men and as unlike 

 the Dutchman of our picture books as can be. Nearly all were gentle- 

 men of wealth, education, and refinement, who seemed to enjoy life to 

 the full. They own large and fine residences and are very hospitable. 



The bulb gardens of the large growers are all of the same general 

 appearance. Fancy a field from 15 to 25 acres in extent, perfectly 

 level, but cut up by ditches and wider canals into numerous rectangular 

 patches. Every 200 yards or so we cross a canal large enough to float 

 a boat, the bridge over which we pass being raised to allow boats go 

 to and from the fields. These canals are met at right angles by 



