EJAAJtLEM. 11)5 



so much consist in giving large sums {'or established variega 

 ted tulips, as in a kind of betting, regarding the eventual 

 superiority of promising seedling Mowers, and in a ruinous 

 competition for the possession of breeders of high merit, 

 from which fine seedlings might be expected. The early- 

 flowering or spring tulips (such as Due van Thol), when 

 they first came into vogue, and while they continued 

 scarce, were frequently rated at ideal values ; and the 

 anxiety of the amateur florists to excel, frequently, in the 

 midst of such temptations, became the means of involving 

 them in bankruptcy. The greatest rarities were sometimes 

 disposed of by a kind of raffle. At length, the interference 

 of the Dutch Government was thought necessary, to restain 

 this gambling spirit of the votaries of Flora. But those 

 days have passed away. There is certainly, at this time, no 

 " sumptuary law limiting the price of tulip roots," nor is 

 there any longer the slightest danger of " 12 acres of land," 

 as one author says, or " L. 5000 Sterling, 11 as another re- 

 ports, being given for a single tulip. The general price 

 of choice bulbs now varies from 3 to 10 guilders (the guilder 

 = Is. 8d.) ; a few kinds are valued at from 10 to 20 guild- 

 ers ; and the most select new, and consequently rare varie- 

 ties, seldom fetch more than from 20 to 50 guilders. A- 

 mong the most precious at this time are the Universal Con- 

 queror, Pompe funebre and Charbonier noir, with yellow 

 grounds; Louis the Sixteenth and Toilette superieure, with 

 white grounds ; and the price of these is 100 guilders (L. 8, 

 2s. 6d.) a bulb. 



No little attention, however, is still given to the cultiva- 

 tion of tulips at this place ; and the principal florists here 

 have their favourite breeders, and are yearly gaining new 

 varieties from the seed. A breeder, it may be explained, 

 is a seedling tulip, which has attained maturity, but is still 



N 2 



