The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1885-07-08
AN OCEAN OF FRAGRANCE.
How HyatlnthsI Tulips, and croeuse,
Arc Cultivated in Holland

lAltfAuHFE HtrRAAenN n.
Holland has always been and ptobably
will ever be the mother Of bHl6e. lew
persons while admiring the beautiful
flowers produced from Holland bulbs,
ever think Of thecaFe, time, and trouble
tAkea TO grow them. Btlbs have been
cultivated there 400 or 800 years, as near
ascan beascertained, but forseyeral rear
past they have received more attention
than ever A wellknown bulb.growet
Of asSenheim, near Haarlem, holland
was interviewed in this city this week.
lie said:
"Hollanl, as Is well known, Is all low
land, the greater part OF II lower than
the sea. The water Is kept of 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 a
very strange appearance to an unaccus-
toned eye We trayelb By canal boats
Ike, ] understand was once done here. 7
"WhAt is the soil like, that you are
enabled 20 raise the finest bulbsls
/. The best in the world for bulb.ndw.
ing-pnre, skhdy soil. The reason Hol.
land bulbs are best Is Jwing to the soil,
temperature, and Water, which Is as
pure as Is possible. We. have only TO
dig three feet-l believe you measure
by feet hereto find water, not only in
one place, but anywhere
"How do you plant hyacinths to In.
crease their number.l'
I'VE first fertilize the soil, put about
sixteen bushels Of manure on each
twelve feet square, then we take hya.
ointh 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 frst"
"In September. The great togs 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"
Are your winters as cold as herei'
mo; we are a great ways further
north, yet our winters are not 50 severe.
Probably the fOgs help US some. Our
summers are not 50 intensely hot as in
this country"
'Are the hyscinths ready for sale
after the first year."
mo, no; 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. livery 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 a second yeari"
1--WE plant some othor species Of
flower, and at the same time enrich the
soil Thus we change thcir homes alter.
nately, and can always utilize the
ground. Bulbs have about six different
diseases, which 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 1t a time to
rest, and then we dig up depth Of four
feet, put on a double quantity OF
fertilizing matter, and after another
short rest II Is willing 10 start
to work again. You know every.
thing in life must have some time to
rest, or 1t wears out and is no good
afterward."
Tell me something about your
tulips"
"Well, / plant the bulbs the same as
the others, only they do not need cut.
ting, as they increase themselves by
forming oiTshoOts on the old ones. We
separate those and replant. We oft.
times grow from seed-that makes work.
From first planting 1t Is four years until
tho bloom. The strange part Is they all
bloom a cofee'cOlored flower for n
number Of years, when suddenly they
will bring forth sUmO fine color, as those
see who buy them. Thus we know what
our bulb is They never hold the coffee
color, which Is quite pretty, any longer
than four years This We are sure Of,
but what they will be in the end we
know not until they show us. Crocuses
are raised tho same way. The three
bulbs mentioned will grow nicely in
water. For forcing always use sandy
loan, which is the best,
"how many varieties Of tulips have
youl"
Three thousand Just ., ,5OOtoo many.
Isuppose there arc more than that"
Nv hat is your native place like"
'Hlhe scenery Is grand, elegant; ]
can't tell you in your language as ]
would like to, Wo have lovely trees
like here, that Is, the same kind. The
land Is perfectly level. Everybody
grows bulbs-the laborcr, tailor, shoe.
maker, as well as the florist. All the
houses some one,story, some two, and
none higher-ate built Of brick. We
build no pavements, but we never have
any mud, and our roads ats Away dry
and smooth, not full Of hard cobble stones
like here. In the principal bulb.grow.
ing district, my home-SaSSenhelm-
you can see millions and millions OF
tulips, hyacinths, and cro.uses in
bloom at once. Their beautiful fra
grancC is waited for miles around. On
one acre will 10 planted about 100000
bulls. Can yoa imagine then, looking
over q dozen Of acres in bloom, what a
vast sea, ct for q paradise, It Isl
wish ! were able to describe in your
talk the grandeur Of IL"