The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1892-03-22
THE TULIP CRAZE.
Il STRANGE FAD IN THE SEVEN
TEENIH CENTURY.
People Were wild Over BuIts-They Were
listed Like Stocks and Fabulous Prices
Were Paid for Choice Tulips.
From The Detroit Free Press.

From The Detroit Free Press.
Tups with every color that shines
In the radiant gems of Serandib's mines.
This gay flower, belle of the garden has
reason to carry itself with proudly uplifted
head, for it's history is a unique one. "A
native of fowery Persia, growing there in
prodigal luxuriance and making the earth
fame with its crimson cOrOas. Coming
from there to Turkey, it received It's name,
tulip, from tulbend, the Turkish name Tor
turban, which it resembles. At last III It's
migrator mood it chose its home among the
good people of Holland, henceforth with
quiet effrontery ignoring its birthplace and
going out into the world as q Holland bulb.
But the flower which in the rich soil OF
Persia glowed a bright crimson, in the sandy
loan of its new home appeared in new and
fantastic dress of ''two-fold beauty and a
parted streak" and ever since florists have
been trying to vary the garb OF the flower.
For years otherwise sensible men devoted
their lives to finding some way Of producing
black tulips, but with no better success than
their compeers who sought blue roses.
Tulips were introduced into northern
Europe about the close of the sixteenth
century In Holland they quickly became
the popular ornament of their prim gardens,
and by one Of those strange freaks which
seem to seize nation as we'll as an intlvid-
ual, they became articles of commercial
speculation.
The story Of the rise and fall Of the tulipo-
mania has no parallel in the business world.
In 1886 tulip marts were established III
Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Harlem and
other cities, where they were sold as stock
on Wall street is today. Prices rose higher
and higher. Bulbs bearing all Kinds OF
Understanding names were offered for sale.
They were bought and sold again without
the buyers receiving indeed, with no eXpec-
tation of ever seeing them. All classes en-
tered into the speculation, from noblemen
to turfmen Servants, becoming suddenly
rich, left their places to set up estaOiiSh-
mcnts for themselves Men parted with
houses, land and even clothes for bulbs. An
old bill handed down is something OF a GU
riosity. 1t is the rice paid for single
viccroy bulb:
Two lasts Of wheat.
-Four do of rye.
-Four fat oxen
Eight fat swine.
Two hogsheads wine
-Four tuns beer
Two tuns butter.
One thousand pounds cheese.
One complete bed.
Suit clothes.
One silver bcaker.
In all amounting in value to $500 forms.
A sailor in a warehouse picked up bulb
and bit it, supposing it to be an onion The
cost to the merchant of that one bite would
have banqueted the prince Of Orange and
his retinue.
Suddenly this strange imitation ceased and
was followed by panic. Prices fell, mer-
chants could not meet their engagements,
rich men found themselves begSared-but
the tulip had come to stay.
Even in England amid the excitement of
civil war and the stern, Joyless rule that
followed, the tulip gained its place and
friends. An OLD book gives pleasant pic
ture of General Lambert, one of the noblest
officers of the Puritan army, turning from
battles to cultivate the bulb with such low
Jag care that tho cavaliers satiri2cd him as
Knight Of Ye Golden Tulip
BUT while those bright flowers blush 'iQ
gay divorsitie" at our feet, and make our
lawns ard parlors brilliant for 50 long Il
time as nature, aided by the florists skill,
will allow, they have companion blossoms
that refuse to lend themselves for such low
~ ends. They bloom but for the stars, and
choose for their admirers birds with plum
age as snowy as themselves. Perhaps the
eagle pHuseS 10 wonder at the gay col0rng
OF the tulip tree
Although common in tie middle states
comparatively few have seen the Naglit
cent blossoms OF this tree. This IS bvcajIse
Of the great height it attains before it
branches out. Il seems strange 70 think of
those great cup-shaprd flowers glowing in
this strange beauty Of varicg0ted scarlet,
yellow and orange. over Il hundred feet
from the ground. Tor hundreds Of years
those trees The largest in America, except the
California group, will bear their blossoms,
and people living in their shadows will
never see the coloring of their canopy BY
some law of association, perhaps HAT in
siuct which makes birds frequent those
trees whose foliage will best conceal them,
the tree attracts to itself the gayost hued
birds, notably the oriolo, to which HaW-
li,.,r, f-,.yy