HYACINTH CULTURE AT HAARLEM 123 



such surprising perfection — in strength and form of stem 

 and blossoms ; or to such brilliancy of colouring, though 

 many possessing both talent and experience have spared 

 neither trouble nor expense in their endeavours to produce 

 the same result. They are inclined to attribute their want 

 of success to the nature of their climate and the soil, and 

 like to regard Haarlem as a place especially privileged in 

 these respects. 



If amateurs had any idea of the spirit of emulation 

 rife among the Haarlem growers, and the way their whole 

 attention is absorbed, — how unceasingly they labour and 

 continually verify their experiments, always reflecting and 

 improving upon them and making fresh combinations, — they 

 would then know the work is not impossible, and they need 

 only be endowed with the indomitable qualities of the 

 Dutchman, and they might produce the §ame results. 



There is no doubt that there exists, even in Haarlem, 

 a sensible difference between growers of the first class and 

 the more second-rate cultivators; for, although all are 

 imbued more or less with the same spirit, and enjoy the 

 same advantages of soil, climate, etc., yet some, through 

 learning and experience, rise superior to the rest in this line. 



If in other countries amateur growers kept more in touch 

 with one another, and co-operated as do the Haarlem 

 cultivators, there would be less occasion for despair. For 

 a good deal of their success comes from their united efforts 

 and experiments, so that among them all they have many 

 ways of knowing how to preserve bulbs, to propagate them, 

 and guard them from destructive accidents. 



Nobody knows exactly where hyacinths come from 

 originally — the name of the hyacinth called " Orientalis," 

 whose origin can be traced back till it is lost in the obscurity 

 of ages — seems to imply that this flower' originated in the 

 East, and there has been much discussion about the fact 



