Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-07-13

ASSOCIATED Press Correspondence
HARLEM. Netherlands, June 20.-Al-
though the bulb business for which
Holland is world famous would seem
to be immune from the effect of the
war, it has. like other industries, had
sad blow from which it is even less
able to recover as time goes on and
the war continues. The head OF the
Bulb Growers Association of the
Netherlands, whose headquarters are
in this city. reviewed the effects OF
the war on Hollands ancient traffic
for the Associated Press
Everything in the bulb trade was
ready for the export season which
starts in the first week of August
when the war broke out said Mr..
krelage. as his motor whirled the cor
respondent through gorgeous fields.
planted in checkerboards of scarlet.
purple. yellow. white and particolored
late tulips and fragrant hyacinths
whose odor hung heavy above the
sandy fields. Our first impression
then was that expectation would be
impossible altogether. and that the
whole season would be lost. But
the results were really better than
We had anticipated. Expectation
was found possible to the United
States without interruption; also
TO England. Sweden. Norway and
Denmark. Germany and Austria,
France and even Russia. Many or
ders. however were cancelled or cut
down. Domestic readjustments made
necessary by the departure of so
many millions of men for the battle
fields of Europe caused the abandon
ing of much of the garden beautfying
which is annually planned in the fall.
For this reason there came to be an
enormous surplus stock on the hands
of the Dutch bulb growers. especially
of hyacinths. which had already been
somewhat too plentiful even before
the war.
Enormous quantities of bulbs. also,
Seem to have been sent to public auc-
tons in several foreign countries, to
be sold in that way at exceedingly low
prices-which did not help the Dutch
bulb business. At the end Of the ex-
port season. tulips and nascissi proved
to be practically all sold. while there
still remained an important stock of
hyacinths in the warehouses. which
had to be thrown away in the end.
The, prices of most kinds of bulbs
went down in August. Hyacinths
could be had at any figure; tulips in
cases for half the normal price. The
official export statistics show only a
very slight decrease compared with
the record year Of 1918, but these
figures are deceptive. They can be
accounted for by the large size and
heavier weight of the bulbs. and also
by the large quantities sold at auction
upon which there was little if any
profit to the vendors, or the bulb
growers.
The financial losses to the bulb
growers, although not perhaps so bad
as anticipated last August. have been
very serious. But they depend to a
certain extent upon the character of
the trade supplied by the individual
grower. Firms dealing only with the
United States have not irreparab,y
suffered. while those exporting chiefly
to Russia have had very bad year.
This spring the representatives Of
the bulb firms of Holland have trav-
eled as usual to take orders and make
collections for former supplies. They
report, generally that payments. even
in the countries at war, are coming in
far better than expected. They are.
however. booking their new orders as
q rule without definite arrangements