24 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



beautiful. In 1623 he wrote : " The ' Semper Augustus ' has been the 

 most prominent variety of the year ; the colour is white and red, tinted 

 blue underneath. No Tulip has been held in higher esteem, and one has 

 been sold for thousands of florins, and yet the seller was himself sold (so 

 he said), for when the bulb was lifted he noticed two lumps on it which 

 the year following would become two offsets, and so he was cheated of 

 two thousand florins." He says further : " The offsets that the bulbs give 

 are the interest, while the capital remains intact." He also considered 

 that bulbs were a safe investment, for one might carry one's capital about 

 in the pocket, and if molested by footpads would not have it stolen as with 

 gold or diamonds. 



One bulb which cost sixty florins has in a short time paid 20 per cent, 

 by offsets, reckoning them at only 6d. each. Wassenaer tells us that in 

 1624 the ' Augustus ' still kept its former reputation, and that there were 

 only twelve in existence. Averaging large and small they could be bought 

 at 1200 florins each. In 1625, 3000 florins were offered for two of 

 these bulbs, but the owner could not be induced to part with them, for, 

 considering that he was the only one possessing the rare bulbs, no one 

 else could procure them, he put his own value, which was very high, on 

 them. 



It was not to be wondered at that such an easy and profitable business 

 soon found favour, as all that was necessary was to possess a few Breeder 

 Tulips which could be grown in almost the smallest garden. The 

 growing of tulips from seed had the fascinating possibility that some 

 tulip of exceptional merit and value might be produced. A proof of this 

 is given by Gaergoedt in an answer to Waermondt's question, " How 

 the flowers got so many names." He says : "If a change in a Tulip is 

 effected one goes to a florist and tells him, and it soon gets talked about. 

 Everyone is anxious to see it. If it is a new flower each one gives his 

 opinion ; one compares it to this, another to that, flower. If it looks like 

 an ' Admiral ' you call it a ' General,' or any name you fancy, and stand 

 a bottle of wine to your friends that they may remember to talk about it." 



The whole business was based on confidence, and was quite impossible 

 to control, as one could not see when buying the bulb the flower it 



Fig. 4. — Flora's Fool's Cap ; 

 or, 



Representations of the wonderful year 1637, when one fool hatched another ; the 

 people were rich without property, and wise without understanding. 



This print, which appears in tlie second edition of the conversations of Waer- 

 mondt and Gaergoedt, published in 1734, depicts a tent in the shape of a fool's cap, 

 in which are several florists weighing Tulips with goldsmiths' scales. Outside hangs 

 a sign, as at an inn, showing two fools fighting, and inscribed " In the two Bulb 

 Fools." In the background is the goddess Flora on an ass being beaten and scolded 

 by disappointed florists. Above the heads of those on the extreme right is a rake or 

 claw, meaning that Flora had raised their hopes of wealth to the highest, but they 

 are now in abject poverty. 



On the left is one well dressed and smiling. This is one of the few successful 

 speculators, and he is turning a deaf ear to one of his victims. On the extreme 

 left is Satan with a rod and line at the end of which is a fool's cap ; on the line are 

 a great many sale notes of Tulips, and in his right hand is an hour glass, meaning 

 " The time is up." 



In the foreground are some florists whose reason has left them, throwing their 

 Tulips on the rubbish heap. 



