Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1843-03-21
THE FLOWER MARKET OF HoL-
LAND.

LAND. "
Wa 1--we "a see fsndness for flowers e
cherished by our counlrymen. i is an io
evidence Of Taste aud purity Offeeling- o.
hence the qentler and better sex are far Q
more fond Of the cultivation Of hcwers .
than the other. II is pleasant when pass 4
siRg through country in genial sea
son, 10 see neat cottage, with the
ground Immediately adjacent, embellish-
cd With flowers. Il is an evidence Ot re- !
fned feelings and positive enjOym emit !
the Dutch, although not remarkable for :
romance or sickly sentimehtality, have
always been distinguished for their love
Of paintings and foWeTs,-fOr fondRess
Of inc beautiful in nature aud in art
Major Davesac, in an article in the Dem
OcFa!Ic Review, gives the following ac-
count Of the sG perb flower markets in
Holland: Gas.
cat Amsterdam, Utrecht. Rotterdam,
the Hague, aud above all, at Harlem, the
floral city, crowds Of individuals Of all
classes Of society are seen assembled al
the flower markets, held twice week in
each Of these great cities. The rich man |
attends them to make exclusively his
own, BY purchase, the ermeralds, the
rubieS, the sapphires Of the vegetable
kingdom, in addition TO those which he al
ready possesse $, formed in depths oflbe
earth thVO tbs slow celebrations Of ages;
but, in spite Of his coveious eagerness
10 obtain the monopoly even of these, ma
tGre's treasures, the INDECENT man 100 has
seen these dazzling gems Of the spring; he
has inhaled their perfume; and, while the
variegsted Camsllia, the purple Lagss.
tremia, the gaudy inodorous Cactus, the
more sweet scented but still gorgeous
P00ny, and all the costly exotlcs are
borne away to spread greater lustre
yer the ab ode Of Opnlence, the humble
Violet. the Rose, (now thought 10 be
vulgar flower, though still blushng its
loVeliness and exhailing the most exqais-
its Of fragrance,) are taken to the home
Of the poOr,to light the gloom Of bis lowly
shed-to give sweetness to the little air
he yet allowed TO breathe. ! always
attended these floral markets, hnd ! do
not remember, crowded as they always
are. ever 10 have heard a quarrel there.
- An elegance OF manners, nay, Language.
see med inspired by the grace and beau.
ty Of the ephemeral gardens; every one
present acted and spoke as 1t he feared
either to inilreb by brutal acts, or to soil
|, by the expression Of indelicate thoughts,
these tender and fragile treasures Of the
spring. All clustered around them, like
bees; and all, like bees, appeared 10
gather from them nothing but sweet
moss.
There is tradition at the Hague, that
johann ess Secundus, the Dutch Poot who
sang Of Kisses, (whOse house, near the
flower markets In that city, is still 10 be
seen } always wrote with nosegay on
his table--Afler hearing OF this as read
his Blsis over again, fanCed in the pO-
etry besides the charm inherent 10 the
suiect, the arOma of the flowers he loved
Here may be allowed, without disgres.
sing much, 10 speak Of the harvest Of ros
%, which always draws to the feld where
they are cultivated, near the Hague, nu'
msrous Visitefs, In the month Of Nav
nothing can be immaglned more beauti
fuI than the aspect Ofthose rose fields
The cir, filed with the sweet emana
tons, makes you aware Of your approach
20 them, before you have come in IiQh
ofihem, surrounded as they are by thick
live hedges, intended TO guard the young
buds from the inclement winds. An oil
Of leStal sptea d ell around proClaims thai
this Is no vulga field work. Hundreds
Ofyoung girls, dressed as if fora village
holiday, commence the gathering will
appFOpFiaie sOngs. The first time wit.
neSDed this noval harvest scene, II seem
ed like dream; became doubtful
whether / stood on BaIavian ground; the
olhoral sweetness inhaled in every
breeze, the earth covered, aS il were
with green carpet embroidered with
roses, with the melodious voice Of 81
N any young and beautiful girls, would
have indeed waited the Imagination IA
che milder regions OF Greece or Italy
but that The azure eyes and golden haiI
OF the pretty Rosieres, proclaimed them
0fNesman race. Those roses gathered
Ia Holland, strange as Il may appear, are
shipped 10 Constsnlinople, destained to
return 10 Europe so concentrated by
chemical aFt, that the peffnmesf ten
thousand is often used BY a lady TO scent
her embroidered handieFchleES
SThe roses arc packed up in large
hOgsheadS, in alternate layers Of flowers
and salt, and pressed with great force.
--All appears that the salt does not de-
! stEoy the essential oil which cNntainsthe
aroma Of the rose.