THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX. PORTLAND, AUGUST S3, 1914.
BLOOMING HAARLEM AND MARKEN, HOLLAND, DEPICTED
Flower Culture, Once a Mania, Brought Down to Science Quaint Typically Dutch of Island Community Found to Be Most Interesting People.
aY ALICE V. JOTCE.
AMSTERDAM, Holland, Aug.
Special.)
Not wealth, but the ability to meet diffi
cult conditions is the measure of a man.
Ever)" failure teaches a man something. If
3ie will only learn.
Charles Dickens.
faaV-?HEN you hear someone remark
Wthat "the whole civilized world
Is interested in the beautiful
flowers which the Dutch bulbs produce
and that this interest increases every
year. or that "Haarlem is famous
for its horticulture and supplies bulbs
to every country in Europe or Amer
ica, have you ever questioned the his
tory of this industry or the difficul
ties that have been overcome in this
wonderful product?
During- the months of April and May
the vicinity of Haarlem and Leiden Is
a. glorious sight to behold. Whole
fields of hyacinths, tulips, crocuses.
anemones, lilies, etc, grouped in every
variety of color and diffusing the most
delicious perfumes, are the delights of
every visitor. There Is nothing more
exquisite, nothing that appeals more
to all that is good and pure in the hu
man heart than the flowers of the
fields.
One is often asked here by visitors
from abroad what the countryside
looked like in olden times; how the
cultivation of bulbs originated: how it
grew to its present importance and no
doubt the many readers of The Ore
gonian are equally as Inquisitive.
Flower Trade Manin.
In 163S and 1637 the flower trade of
Holland assumed the form of a mania
and tulips became as important a spec
ulation as railway shares and the pub
lic funds of the present-day. Capitalists,
merchants and even private individ
uals entirely ignorant of floriculture,
traded extensively in bulbs and fre
quently amassed considerable fortunes.
A single Dutch town is said to have
gained more than 10.000,000 florins
a florin equals 49 cents) by the sale
of tulip bulbs In one year.
In the latter half of the lfth cen
tury the first bulb plants were sent
from Asia by way of Turkey and Vien
na to Western Europe: by whom and
with what object In view no one can
tell. In the beginning of the 17th cen
tury Paris selected the tulip as the
flower of fashion and from that time
the cultivation of bulbs was seriously
taken in hand.
Many difficulties arose. A regret
table passion for gambling in bulbs
prevailed at this time. Fortunes were
made and lost. The rarer bulbs often
realized enormous prices. It is re
corded that the "Semper Augustus"
was sold for j3,ooo florins, the "Ad
miral Liefkens" for 4500 florins and
the "Viceroy" for 4200 florins. Happily
this craze was a passing one, and the
cultivation as well as the trade in
bulbs soon progressed, though not
without many incidents of a somewhat
serious character.
Flood Aroosea Government.
The problem, of the water level, at
all times a vital point for the cultiva
tion of bulbs, became extremely urgent
in the Autumn of 1872. but it was only
in 1877, when the whole of the crops
was destroyed by high water, that the
government gave serious attention to
this problem. Serious damage was
caused bv game of various descriptions.
and the history of the struggle of -the?
thorn
to
planters against this enemy would fill
a book of Itself. All obstacles were,
however, overcome gradually, and to
day the bulb trade is an industry of
which The Netherlands may be justly
proud.
Among the popular varieties are the
Darwin. Rembrandt and Siren tulips
and the Parsifal hyacinths. Real
triumphs are recorded among the
trumpet daffodils. As soon as suffi
ciently propagated, such excellent
forms of the Glory of Haarlem. Hope
of Holland, Thackeray and others will
become the yellow trumpets in the
garden just as they are now at the
London and Haarlem daffodil shows.
Foremost of all, the white trumpets
will be the general favorite, and after
many years the "Mrs. Ernest H.
Krelage," the best white trumpet will
take a popular position in the flower
world.
The cultivation of bulbs is intensely
interesting, and many questions might
be answered. In the beginning of the
lth century, when the cultivation of
bulbs did not occupy more than a few
acres. It was confined to lands within
and just outside the town of Haarlem,
while only a few prominent growers
conducted a small export trade to Eng
land and Germany. As the means of
communication developed, the export
trade Increased in importance, and the
cultivation of bulbs extended propor
tionately. New Method Prove Good.
At that time it was a rule that lands
used for bulb culture could only bear
crops once in four years, so that they
lay idle for three years. It soon
proved impossible to maintain this
rather wasteful system, and new meth
ods were tried. Many growers began
to work the soil down to a certain
depth so that the layers to be used for
planting the bulbs were partially re
freshed and renewed. The result was
that the lands treated In this manner
proved suitable for planting every two
years. Much was gained, but the ever
increasing demand for bulbs neces
sitated more serious measures. Thus
it was that new lands were made suit
able for bulb growing by plowing very
deeply and mixing the soil with sand
from the dunes. Even between Haar
lem and Leiden the lands which sat
isfy all these conditions are scarce;
hence the high prices paid for them
and the groat necessity for intensive
cultivation. Is there any reason why
these beautiful tulips and. hyacinths
can be grown in the open fields only
in Holland? It might be worthy of the
experiment to test the same mixtures
of Oregon's rich soil and sand.
The hyacinth requires calcareous
soil rather coarse grained. For potted
plants the bulbs may be planted In
October and the pots should be four or
five-Inch pots. Fill the pots with a
mixture prepared in advance and con
sisting of four equal parts, viz: good
light garden soil, leaf mould, pure old
cow dung and pure sand. Put the bulb
Into it, leaving the top visible, and
press the soil firmly around the bulb.
Water the pots once freely and put
them In a corner of the garden pro
tected against frost and cover them
with soil, ashes or leaves so that the
pots are entirely hidden. If there is
no garden, the pots may be placed in
the cellar or similar frost free, cool
dark room, till the roots have suf
ficiently developed. After about five
or six weeks the pots may be removed
to the light by putting them In a green
house or general living-room. The
atmosphere must not be too dry and the
temperature moderate in the first days
and always regular. Plenty of water
may bo supplied now, according to the
needs of the bulbs.
Mncrlc Varieties for Glauses.
For hyacinths in glasses, the single
varieties are well adapted for this pur
pose. The glasses are filled with pure
rainwater so that the roots are im
mersed in it; the bulb itself must
never be in contact with the water.
The glasses are kept in a cool, dark
case or room protected from frost till
the roots have sufficiently developed.
They are then removed to the light in a
frost-free apartment of regular tem
perature and where they can have a
sunny and not too dry situation. The
evaporating water should be replaced
by fresh water of .the same tempera
ture. A few grains of salt will keep
the water clear and pure.
For the garden, the level of the water
must always be such that the plants
are alile to draw up tho water with
their roots. Another requirement Is
that the ground absorbs the water up
to a certain height in the manner of
capillary vessels, whilst on the other
hand all superfluous water must easily
flow away into canals or rivers, the
general level thus being subject to no
great changes.
The culture of tulips is similar to
that of hyacinths except in pots,
ordinarily three bulbs of the same va
riety are put together in the same pot.
In glasses they are alike. In beds or
borders the tulips are planted in Au
tumn until December, but preferably
earlier. The bulbs are planted four
inches deep and three inches apart.
The best time for planting Narcissi
is September or October. For indoor
culture the species with the largest
bulbs are planted three of Ave to
gether (same variety) in the same pot.
Five to 15 of the smaller bulbs can be
put in one pot. In beds or borders
Polyanthus Narcissi and the delicate
Narcissi of other groups should be
planted five Inches deep and six Inches
apart. In Winter they must be cov
ered with leaves about eight inches
high. The more resistent varieties
four inches deep and five Inches apart,
and need a cover of only two Inches
in Winter.
Care of Flower Advised.
When the bulb is dispatched it al
ready contains the flower. With a
little care the latter will flourish any
where. In this connection the charac
ter of the soil is of small importance.
It is astonishing that the bulb may be
brought to flower In a tumbler filled
with water. It is afterwards that the
quality of the soil and Its treatment
becomes of supreme importance, for
when the flower is dead the bulb must
absorb sufficient food to form a new
flower and to nourish It during its de
velopment. It is an interesting sight
to see the glass-covered seed pods of
the various bulb-producing plants, for
by this process hew varieties are pro
duced. One of the leading firms has nearly
100 hectares planted in bulbs. They
are now In the midst of the harvest.
It is interesting to see the girls sort
ing the bulbs, the larger bulbs for
market and the smaller ones for an
other year's growth. These bulb grow
ers have orgsnfzed a society called the
General Society for Bulb Culture. They
train their own gardeners. Tho appren
tices begin at an early age and attend
tho night school for gardeners which
Is provided by thl society.
The gross weight of bulbs exported
in 1901 amounted to 19.957.94! kilo
grams, whilst In 191.1 the figure was
22,751.500 kilograms. They cannot sup
ply the demand. The largest orders
are exported to the United States. Great
Britain, Ireland. Germany. Austria,
Scandinavia and Denmark.
Even though we have passed much
time In study I should not have you
think our journey has been without Its
other pleasures. Were It possible noth
ing would give us more pleasure than
to take all who wish to go with us to
Innsbruck, Austria. Oberammergau.
where the Passion Play Is staged every
ten years, across Switzerland In that
beautiful mountain scenery, attend the
Industrial Exposition In Berne, far Into
the Black Forests ' from Frleburg,
"Down the Rhine" past the Mouse
Tower at Blngen, a visit to the Art Ex
position In Coin and then to Amster
dam by way of Rotterdam, Tho Hague,
Haarlem and Schevenlngon. But there
Is one place which was most Interest
ing to me, so by words and pictures
wilt trv tn take von with me Rrfntn
leaving Portland, a kind friend who I
was telling me of a. trip abroad, sug- J
gestcd my visiting the Island of Mar
ken. I enjoyed it so much th.at I musx
again quote Mrs. Wiggs, who ways: "I
don't feel like good things belong to
me until I have passed
someone else."
The Island of Market! Is located In
the Zulder Zee with a lighthouse on the
northeast point. But It ts a spot which
has not lost any of Its characteristics
and strengthens the foreigners who
come here In the belief that the stylo
of Its inhabitants Is typically Dutch.
The men dress In black and dark bluo
jerseys or long Jackets with silver but
tons and enormously loose trousers,
their hair cut straight across the fore
head over the eara and at the bsck of
the neck as If a barber had clapped
on a bowl and trimmed round It.
The women have gorgeous costumes,
stiff, white caps eoerd with lace,
short, full skirts with richly embrol
dered bodices. They wear their hair
with a long curl on each side of th
face. The rhildren are dressed In th
same style of costume aa their parent
and retain their old. fashioned ways of
leaving the wooden shoes outside when
they enter the house.
Every courtesy Is shown whan a l
Itor enters their homes. They are hap
py to show you the Drift-tiled wall
which pictures Bible history, the pol
ished brass and copper utensils of cen
turies, the Delft china of their an
cestors, a "very old clock." a wooden
cabinet of. the lath century, the beds
built In the walls, the aanded floors,
beautifully designed and many other
Interesting features.
One woman Invited ua to drink tea
from a teapot several centuries old. It
wa,s ail very quaint and Interesting.
In olden times they sax this Island,
now a hill surrounded by a dyke, but
lost at sea, was a part of the main
land. In the latter part of the thir
teenth century It was roughly separat
ed from the mainland In a stormy
night. The Island then became the
property of the Marlengaard Convant
In Frlesland at the epot where, since
1845, the present church la to be found.
Marken then passed from hand to
hand. In 165 there was an Inunda
tion, which destroyed almost every
thing. What was spared was nearly all
destroyed by fire two years later.