Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1891-01-29
ABOUT TULIP BULBS.
MANY THOUSANDS or THEM NOW IN
THE BEDS or THE NFw YORK
PARKS
Masses OF Blooms Of all Colors win Blos-
som ia the spring.
About the Holland Bulb
Craze Of the seven
teenth Century.

Nearly ninety Thousand lullp DulD3
number ia the rich loan that consti-
tutes the great flower beds dotting the
parks and public squares Of this city
They are safe enough from any frost
that ever visits this latitude and they
are sure 70 peep above the ground with
the earliest hint OF Spring, and 10 flame
into SPLENDID color before the month Of
May. Last years designs will be re-
peated IN this years tulip beds In the
circular bed In the corner Of Fifth ave-
nue. and Fifty-ninth street the tulips
will blossom la eccentric circles, and OF
different color At the corner OF
Eighth avenue and Eifty-ninth street
Will glow a great Japanese bird kite,
resplendeut with red and white tulips.
There will, be also, splendid beds near
the Arsenal in Central Park. In T0mp-
kins Square, tnear Clai1nont. ia the
City Hall Park, aud at several other
points
II Is particularly appropriate that the
most magnificent show Of tulips 10 be
seen anywhere in America should be
made IN this city, for the town was set
tied by Duchmen Just at a time when
Holland was IN the midst Of the tulip
craze Holland has never entirely re-
tulips IN the world are now raised In the
sandy soil behind the Dutch dykes,
while New York imports her tulip buds
from the home OF her earliest ancestors.
But the present interest In tulips among
Duehmen Is nothing 10 the rage that
reached its widest extreme In the wears
between 1884 and 1887 The modern
craze for orchids Is mild in comparison
to this Dutch "tulipomania, as il has
been learuedly called The passion was
confined 10 no one class Of the commun-
ity II spread through every rank Of
lie Poor mechanics raised ia their
tiny gardens marvellous blossoms, while
the rich spent fortunes upon few dozen
bulbs. For three years everybody talk
ed tulips. Each Spring found thousands
eagerly watching for the tulip buds
Books were written upon tulips The
habits Of the flower We're deeply studied.
There were all sorts OF devices for has
tening the blooming Of the plants and
prolong the life OF the blossom. Loving
friends presented 10 one another tulips
as the most precious Of gifts. Acres
upon acres OF sandy lowlands were res
plendent with these marvellous "bub- |
bles OF blood.
OF course the craze developed an /
eager money-making spirit Prices !
We're monstrons fabulous. A single |
fine tulip bulb fetched II, 900 forms, or
more than $1,000, and three Of them |
fetched as high as 10000 florins. Some |
times one bulb would be owned by a doz- |
en- persons. Then came dealing in /
futures. Men contracted 10 furnish, at /
a future time, bulbs not yet in existence. 4
Many more bulbs We're sold each year
than We're ever grown In any one sea
sou. Everybody bought tulips. and 1
many spectators got rich. Others, /
however were ruined. Tulips were |
quoted rs stocks and wheat are quoted |
now. New varieties were constantly /
announced. Men travelled many miles
to look al a single blossom Artists 4
took up the matter, and to-day you
may see scores Of tulip pictures painted
when the craze was at its height.
The tulip craze gradually spread all
over Europe, though nowhere was 1t SO
severe as in Holland. II was especially
marked In Great Britain. There was
much religious prosecution In Europe
during the latter half Of the seventeenth
century, and many refugees fled TO lib
eral little Holland They caught the
tulip fever, and when some thousands
Of them went to Finland from Holland
they carried il TO Great Britain. Even
yet the finest British tulips are grown
by mechanics the decendents Of those
refugees.
Holland is long past her tulip craze,
but she remains the great
lower growing country OF Europe.
Hyacinths are also grown TO great
perfection. The light sandy soil of
Holland is peculiarly well suited to the
tulip. The plant is probably Of Asiatic
origin, but it has been brought TO its
highest perfection in Holland, and
about Haarlem. The Dutch
tulip raisers protect their beds in Spring
with hoops and mats. In Summer, when
the blossoms come out, they are pro
tected from the sun by light canvass
awnings. This protection greatly pro
longs the life Of the blossom. Tulips ]
show best in great masses. In the pub
lie places Of this city from 3, 600 to A. /
300 bulbs are planted IN each bed. Here,
however, no attempt is made to prolong
The life OF the blossoms by artificial
means. Bulbs planted in November
blossom in early Spring and are gone
before Summer. Extremely beautiful ,
gariegated tuliDs are cultivated in Gra-
mercy Park, and there are usually a
ew fine blossoms in the grass plot on ;
he Fifth avenue side of Union League
A sweet scented tulip with a hairy
stem is sometimes cultivated in pots, q
Dut it lacks the beauty Of the unscented
iariety. 4 wild tulip common in the
woods in some parts Of the continent OF I
Europe has dropping, yellow blossoms !,
Fery different from the splendid. sturdy !
lower familiar to frequenters OF the :
public squares OF New York. Last year !
vas the first in which thoroughly sat
sfactory showing OF tulips was obtained
" the Park Department. This years
Iisplay will he al least as fine-New