The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-08-28
AN OCECN OF FRAGRANCE.
How Hyacinths, Tulips, and CrOcuses
are Cultivated In Holland.

11Otldao LIDS always OCOA lhu P1 obb-
bly 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 400
Or 500 years, as near as can be ascer
5ained, but for several years past they
have received more attention than
ever. Mr.. Beerhorst, a bulb-grower
of Lasenheim, 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- The water is kept off by
dykes; you have another name here.
Erected here and there on them are
large windmills, that pump the water
out when it mandates the land. They
present very strange appearance to
an unaccustomed eye We travel by
canalboats like, 1 understand. was
once done here
what is the soil like, that you are
enabled to raise the finest bulbs?'
'-The best in the world for bulb
growing-pure, sandy soil. The rea-
son Holland bulbs are best is owing to
the soil. temperature, and water,
which is as pure as is possible. We
have only to dig but feet-I believe
you measure by feet hereto find wa
ter, not only in ONE place, but any
where
''How do you plant hyacinths to in
crease their number?''
1--WE first fertilize the soil, put about
sixteen bushels Of manure on each -
feet square, then we take hyacinth
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 trst?"
'In September. The great fogs
from the sea drive the frost away, but
we always cover the bed with
weeds. We can not use straw, be-
cause then the mice destroy our
bulbs"
care YOUR winters as cold as here?"
NO; we are great ways further
north, yet our winters are not so Sc
we're Probably the fogs- help US some.
Our summers are not so intensely hot
as in this country
care the hvacinths 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. 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 have about six differ
ent diseases, which cannot name in
your language. This causes much
trouble and loss of money. Some
times, 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 dou-
Bile quantity of fertilizing matter, and
after another short rest it is willing to
start to.work again. You know every
thing in life must have some time to
rest, or-It wears out, and is no good
afterward.'
Tell me something about your
tulips
''Well, I plant the bulbs, the same as
the others, only they do not need cut
ting, as they increase themselves by
forming offshoots on the old ones We
separate those and replant. We Oft
times grow from seed-that makes the
work. From first planting it is four
years antil they bloom The strange
part is they all bloom a coffee-colored
flower for a number. of. years, when
suddenly they will bring forth some
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 the 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
COUP
.SThree thousand-just $500 too
many. l suppose there are more
than that"
..What is your native place likee''
1.-The scenery is grand, eleganti ]
can't tell you in your language as
would like to. We have love trees like
here. that is, the same kind. The
land is perfectly level. Everybody
grows bulbs the laborer, tailor, shoe
maker as well as the forest. All the
houses-some one story, some two,
and none higher-are built OF brick.
We build no pavemsnts, but we never
| have any mud, and our roads; are al
ways dry and smooth, not full Of hard
cobble- stones like here. In the princi-
pal bulb-growing district, my home
Sassenhelm-yon can see millions and
millions of tulips, hyacinths and Gro
cusses in bloom at once. Their beau
tiful fragrance is waited for miles
around. On one acre will be planted
about 400, 900 bulbs. Can you imagine,
;hen, looking over dozen acres in
oloom. what vast sea, fit for para,
disc, it is. l wish were able to de
scribe in your talk the grandure of it. J.
"What do you think of our country?'
'.It is grand. it is grand! Good fol
the POOR mantle rich man can ge
I along anywhere If L could not ge
along better than some at our place