The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1890-11-06
HYACINTH CULTURE IN HOLLAND
How the Sturdy BurEhers Make Farm-
Ing for Flowers PAY.


Ing for Flowers Pay.
The bulb farms are nearly all situated
on the sandy fats Letween the cities Of
HARLEM and Leyden. The former city
is the center of the trade. There tho
dealers and larger growers have Offices
and stores. The soil in which the hya-
cinths are grown is a light fine sand,
which is generally dry On e.e s1rface.
but Immediately below moist and cool.
1t matters not how dry and hot the
weather may be, there is always plenty
of moisture q few inches beneath the
surface, which keeps the bulbs sweet
and healthy. Should a period of wet
weather set in. the superfluous water
easily percolates through the fine sandy
soil, and the land soon regains its normal
healthy moistness-
The ground is very heavily manured
every two or three years with COW ma
nure, which is brought from all parts Of
the country and is a valuable source Of
profit to the Dutch dairymen. This ma
nure is kept in heaps until it has become
thoroughly decomposed before being put
on the ground. The farms are all simi-
Jar in appearance. Tdiness and order
in the manner of culture are almost in
variable. The fields vary from 5 to 20
or 25 acres in extent, and are cut up into
patches by canals and bitches, which
intersect the whole farm and cross each
other at right angles. The canals are
wide enough to admit of the passage Of
a good sized boat, and consequently re-
quire to be bridged wherever commune
cation between the plots is necessary.
The bitches are narrow enough to be
stepped over. Water being always
present in these cuttings, the irrigation
is perfect. The surface of the fields is
usually about two feet above the level Of
the water. All the farms are connected
with the extensive canal system of Hol-
land by means of these private canals,
this arrangement enabling the farmers
to draw their supplies Of manure and the
other necessaries of their trade from all
parts of the country, and to send of the
ripened bulbs to the shipping ports. The
canals running through the farms are
quite green in summer with the little
aquatic plant, the lesser duckweed Qem-
ma minor; and when a boat passes along
all the water the visitor sees is small
triangular bit at the stern, which is soon
green again as the little plant floats back
into place.
The custom in the early days of bulb
growing was to plant the same ground
only once in three years. Now, how
ever, the Dutch find that hyacinths and
most other bulbs do very well il planted
~, ho sor,o <xroppI aoch cacoud voar-
The land is divided into two portions,
one of which is planted with the bulbs,
while the other is dug and heavily ma
nured. The latter portion is allowed to
lie fallow or is planted with crop, such
as potatoes. suited to prepare the soil for
the bulbs.
Every bulb. even the smallest, is
lifted and planted once year. Septem-
ber and October are the planting months.
The bulbs are placed in rows in large
beds, each variety being kept separate,
and carefully labeled with a wooden
label containing its name or number
stuck in the ground at the beginning.
The large bulbs are put in first, then the
smaller ones. This arrangement mars
| somewhat the effect of the beds at flower
ing time, as strong growing bulbs are
seen blooming side by side with much
weaker ones However, utility, not
ornament, makes the rule, and after all
| it does not matter much, as the flowers
are only permitted to open far enough
to allow of their being proved true to
color or name, and then cut off. This
cutting off of the flower spike lets the
leaves develop to their fullest extent and
helps to strengthen and enlarge the
bulbs. s.-[ Chambers's Journal.