805 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
[ April 16, 1885. 
Bulb Company near Vogelenz mg. The different colours are planted in 
masses of about half an acre each, and they produce a very fine effect. 
Haarlem is a town of some importance. Apart from the position it holds 
as the centre of the bulb industry, its commercial interests are not incon¬ 
siderable, while the many incidents pointed out in connection with its 
memorable siege prove interesting to the historian. Its chief attraction 
to strangers, however, is the great church with its magnificent organ, 
famous throughout the world. In its external aspect Haarlem greatly 
resembles most other Dutch towns; the same high narrow houses and 
cobble-paved streets, and the same remarkable cleanliness are everywhere 
seen. It is in the environs of the town and in the surrounding villages 
that the bulbs are grown, and it is from Haarlem that they are sent in the 
autumn to all parts of the world. Large quantities are sent to Germany, 
Austria, Russia, Norway, and Denmark. England and Germany absorb 
the largest proportion of the whole exportation, but those of the best 
quality are invariably sent to England. The Dutchmen find that the 
motto in England is “ The best, not the cheapest; ” and so to this 
country they send the cream of their stocks. 
It may, perhaps, not be uninterestingtodescribethesystem of operations 
by which the millions of Hyacinths, Tulips, Crocuses, Narcissi, Scillas, 
and other flowers are produced for sale. There are, however, natural 
advantages which enable the bulbs to develope and ripen to a degree 
impossible in any other part of Europe. Of these the most important is 
the soil. This is a grey sand, exceedingly porous, yet fertile, and 
admirably calculated from its texture to not only promote the proper 
growth of the bulbs, but also to permit of their being removed from it 
easily and cleanly. For a depth of several feet not a particle of soil of 
a clayey or chalky nature can be found; it is pure sand, and crumbles as 
readily in the hand as sand from the seashore, although considerably 
coarser. Thus the water from the surface passes freely through, and the 
soil round the roots of the bulbs is never sour or stagnant. But the 
water does not descend far; at a depth of 4 or 5 feet—more in some 
places, less in others—it is arrested by the subsoil, which is of a far 
heavier nature, and very tenacious of moisture. Here water is constantly 
held, and the moisture rises to supply the roots of the plants with a 
necessary portion of their food, and they ripen under a cloudless sky. 
Thus the exact conditions required for the welfare of the bulbs are con¬ 
stantly provided. The fertility of the soil is maintained by the liberal 
use of cow manure, which is spread on the surface, its virtues being 
washed in by the rain. Manure is the most expensive item in the culture 
of bulbs, but good dressings are given annually to the land, otherwise 
roots of the finest quality are not produced. The bulbs are planted in 
beds about 4 feet wide and 20 feet 1 mg. Hyacinths and Tulips about 
5 inches apart, and smaller roots, such as Crocuses and Scillas, about 
2^ inches asunder. That they make a magnificent display when all are in 
bloom can easily be imagined. An acre of Hyacinths in numerous shades 
of colour is a flower bed to be remembered, but at the time of our visit they 
were, with one or two exceptions, only just showing colour. One 
Hyacinth only was in full bloom at that early period—namely, Homerus, 
a light red variety. It is little grown in England, but is largely cultivated 
in Germany on account of its remarkable earliness, which should certainly 
render it desirable in this country. Of the others, Norma and Grand 
Vainqueur, two very popular sorts, were most advanced. Tulips were 
not showing flower, but magnificent stretches of Crocuses and Scillas 
afforded an idea of the gran i display on these farms when the Hyacinths 
and Tulips are at their best. 
In a necessarily brief stay in bulb-land only one of its many flower 
farms could be visited, that of Messrs. F. & H. Van Waveren, Hillegom, 
an offshoot of the world-renowed firm of M. Van Waveren & Sons, who 
have annually exported vast quantities of bulbs to all parts of Europe 
during the past century. The magnitude of their trade is, indeed, 
astounding ; and the young firm is adopting the same plan which has 
maintained the prosperity of the old one for so many years. Quality is 
the watchword of the Van Waverens, as of all the noted growers. All 
the sorts most popular in England are grown in large quantities there. 
Such Hyacinths as Robert Steiger, Von Schiller, Norma, Gigantea, Queen 
of Hyacinths, Lord Macaulay, and others amongst reds; Grand Vainqueur, 
La Grandesse, Madame Van der Hoop, La Tour d’Auvergne, Mont Blanc, 
La Franchise, and Grandeur a Merveille amongst whites; and Argus, 
Baron van Tuyll, King of the Blues, Charles Dickens, Grand Lilas, Lord 
Derby, and Grand Maitre amongst blues, being grown in thousands. 
But numerous others have to be grown too, and the vast stretches of 
glowing colour must produce a superb effect. The floral display does not, 
however, last long. Hardly have the spikes fully developed their brilliant 
flowers before they are cut and consigned to the rubbish heap ; the foliage, 
of course, being left to provide nourishment for the bulbs. Thus shorn of 
their beauty, the farms are singularly uninteresting to the stranger for the 
remainder of the year, but the cutting-down process inaugurates a season of 
busy work for the growers. In June all the bulbs are taken up and spread 
on large shallow trays under cover to dry and ripen, and two months later 
they are ready for distribution. Then when all the orders have been 
executed in autumn the planting season is at hand. All the bulbs placed 
aside for stock, together with whatever surplus there may be of saleable 
bulbs, being planted for future supplies. 
The mode of propagation adopted is simple in the extreme. A deep 
slice is cut down the centre of each bulb, in which young offsets grow. 
These are taken off and planted, and in about three years they are of 
saleable size. Successive batches are yearly coming to maturity, and so 
the supply is maintained. Another mode of propagation is to divide the 
old bulbs transversely, throwing the bottom or root portion away, and 
planting the other with the cut surface downwards. Bulblets form on this, 
to be subsequently taken off and grown until they are large enough 
for sale. In winter, after a covering of straw has been placed on the 
beds to protect the bulbs from frost, work on the farms is at a standstill 
until the spring. This is the yearly round of work conducted by the 
firm alluded to, as described by its courteous head, and on all the farms of 
bulb land the modus ojoerandi is precisely the same.—A Young- 
Traveller. 
SEASONABLE NOTES ON FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
Auriculas .—This is the season when all the anxiety and trouble of the 
past twelve months is amply repaid to the grower of these quaint spring 
flowers. As day after day masses of hia favourite sorts expand their 
beauties, he is fain to confess that although other flowers are more brilliant 
and many less formal, there is a charm in the Auricula which detains 
him when other flowers cease to please ; while to the raiser of seedlings 
there is the ever-recurring excitement of raising some novelty which is to 
eclipse all others that have gone before. My own collection, not a large 
one, and reduced very considerably by the unfortunate baking which it 
got on the day of our church re-opening, looks better than I have seen it 
for some years. It has been brought into a small span-roofed pit into 
which I can walk and leisurely survey the plants, a far better plan than 
having them in frames, which have to be tilted in order to get a view of 
them. The glass has been “ whitened ” over so as to keep them from the 
glare of the sun. They now require a good supply of water (rain where 
it can be had), and of course the pots to be kept clear of weeds. Should 
any green form on the sutface of the pots the soil had better be stirred up 
a little. Offsets may also be taken off if rooted, and potted intq small 
pots. Some varieties increase fairly, others give very few. Unfortunately 
I shall be debarred from seeing the Auricula Show at South Kensington 
this year. H.M. Inspector of Schools has fixed that day for his annual 
visit, and he is a functionary we parsons dare not neglect. After the 
bloom is over the plants should be removed to a northern aspect to be 
ready for repotting. 
Carnations and Picotees .—As I have already explained I only grow 
these in beds. The winter has been a favourable one, and my losses were 
very few. I had kept a few in small pots, so that these were ready to 
supply the places of those that had perished. The bed has been stirred 
over, and the sticks will be placed to them in a short time, and as the 
flowering stems lengthen they will be loosely tied to them, but they have 
not as yet made any start; in fact with us things are generally more 
backward than usual. 
Gladioli .—These ought all to be planted this month. My own beds 
were planted in March, and no delay should now be made in getting any 
roots that are out of the ground now planted. I have not, as a rule, 
found that it makes much difference as to the time of blooming. Certain 
kinds are sure to bloom early, and others late whenever they are planted. 
Shakespeare always blooms by the end of July, and Phoebus and Kelway’s 
Duchess of Edinburgh never until far on into September. I have this 
year used road grit instead of sand round the bulbs when planting, but I 
have never found that any plan is better than another, and this will 
probably be no better or no worse than charcoal and sand, which I have 
before used. The beds must be kept clear of weeds. 
Chrysanthemums .—I have just given these their first shift from thumb 
pots, in which they were struck, to 32’e. In these they will remain until 
they get their final shift. I do not grow for exhibition, and therefore my 
practice may not be suitable for those who do. My object is to get nice 
stocky plants for home use, and as my space is very limited I cannot 
cultivate as liberally as I might do had I more room ; and my desire is not 
to get a few large blooms, but a large number of fairly sized flowers and 
stocky plants, instead of long-legged flamingo-looking things with a bloom 
or two at the end. 
Ranunculuses ,—There is little to be done with these at present. I have 
never known them to remain so long in the ground without appearing 
above it as this year. Mine have been planted nearly two months, and 
are only just beginning to show themselves—the result, I suppose, of this 
period of dry searching winds, which has effectually counteracted any 
good that might have resulted from the mild winter. When they have 
appeared the beds will be gone carefully over, slightly stirred, and the 
soil pressed round the neck of the plants, the Ranunculus requiring a 
good firm soil. 
Roses .—Not being an exhibitor, I have to consider more what may 
best suit my garden than the flowers which I may have fit for an exhi¬ 
bition table; consequently, instead of having my beds even mulched over, 
I haze raked off all the long strawy stuff of the winter mulching, and have 
forked in the short material into the beds. They have been smoothed 
over a little and look tidy. These remarks do not apply to Tea Roses, 
which have not been as yet pruned, although that operation may be carried 
out as soon as may suit the convenience of growers. I have advocated 
hard pruning for them as well as for Hybrid Perpetuals, and still believe 
when you want to get good growth and fine flowers it is preferable. I 
bard-pruned my principal Tea bed last year, and so much growth has been 
made that the plants are now touching each other. If I prune them 
hard again this year I shall have the bed probably too full. I shall 
therefore this year merely shorten the shoot3. Another bed which I did 
not prune hard, and which requires more filling in, I shall cut hard so as 
to induce more growth. A third bed is not planted yet. The plants 
were received last autumn, and have been laid in all the winter under a 
wall, and covered over during severe weather. As they are taken up they 
will be pruned close, and planted immediately in a bed which was pr- - 
pared in the autumn and has been left rough all the winter. The wood ot 
