Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-07-09
AN OCEAN OF FRAGRANCE.

How Hyacinths, Tulips and CrocuseS Are
Cultivated in Holland.
Holland has always been and prob
ably will ever be the mother of bulbs.
Few persons, while admiring the beau
tiful flowers produced from Holland
bulbs, ever think of the care, time, and
| trouble taken to grow them. Bulbs
have been cultivated there four hundred
| or five hundred years, as near as can
be ascertained, but for several years
past they have received more attention
than ever. Mr.. Beerhorst, bulb
grower OF Lassenheim, near HARLEM,
Holland, was interviewed in this city
this week.. He said:
Holland. as is well-known, is all
low land, the greater part of it lower
than the sea. This water is kept off
by dykes: you have another name here.
Erected here and there ON them are
large wind-mills. that pump the water
out when it mandates the land. They
present very strange appearance to
an unaccustomed eye. We travel by
canalboats like, l understand, was
once done here.''
What is the soil Ike. that you are
enabled to raise the finest bulbs?''
1.-The best in the world for bulb
growing-pure, sandy soil. The reason
Holland bulbs are best is owing to the
soil, temperature, and water. which is
as pure as is possible. We have only
to dig three feet believe you meas
ure by feet hereto find water, not
only in one place, but anywhere.
Elbow do you plant hyacinth to in
crease their NUMBER"
I'VE first fertilize the sol, put about
sixteen bushels of manure on each
twelve feet square. then we take hya-
cinth bulb and cut across the bottom
several times. plant, and in June we
lift. The one bulb will be divided into
several small ones of perfect growth. !"
when do you plant firstP"
'.In September. The great fogs from
the sea drive the frost away. but we al
ways cover the beds with weeds. We
can not use straw, because then the
mice destroy our bulbs
care your winters as cold as here?"
mo; we are a great ways further
north, yet our winters are not so severe.
Probably the fogs help us some. Our
this country"
Are the hyacinths ready for sale
after the first year?"
mo, no; l would they were. The
first year they are planted close; the
second year we must plant them in
new soil, as they will not grow two
years in the same ground. Every year
each bulb gets more space. until five
years elapse, when they are then ready
to SELL
What do you do with the ground
you can not use second year?''
1--WE plant some other species of
flower. and at the same time enrich the
soil. Thus we change their homes
alternately, and can always utilize the
ground. Bulbs haye about six different
diseases. which l can not name in your
language. This causes much trouble
and loss of money. Sometimes the soil
gets tired of the bulbs. and refuses to
grow anything. We give it time TO
rest, and then we dig up depth of four
feet, put on double quantity of fertil-
izing matter, and after another short
rest it is willing to start to work again.
You know everything in life must have
some time to rest, or it wears out, and
is no good afterward.H
Tell me something about your tu-
lips?''
''Well. plant the bulbs the same as
the others. only they do not rseed
cutting, as they increase themselves
By forming offshoots on the old ones.
We separate those and replant. We