Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-06-27
HOLLAND BULB BUSINESS
| IS VERY HARD HIT BY WAR
ancient Traffic Apparently Less Able
to Recover as Time
Goes On.
ENORMOUS SURPLUS s
STOCK
Expectation Found Possible Only to
Few Of Countries-Domestic Re-
adjustments Cause Abandoning Of
Much Garden Beautifylng.


HARLEM. NETHERLANDS. June
|lG".--Although the bulb business. for
which Holland is world famous, would
seem TO DE immune from the effect Of
The war, it has. like other industries.
had a sad blow, from which 1t is even
less able to recover as time goes on
tand the war continues. The head of the
Bulb Growers Associa ton OF the Meth
IIerl"nds. whose headquarters are In this
|Ioity, reviewed the effects OF the war on
Hollands ancient traffic for the Assoc
Mated Press
| Everything in tho 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 correspondent
through gorgeous fields planted in
checkerboards of scarlet purple. yell
low. white and particolored late tulips
and fragrant nyacinths. whose odor
hung heavy above the sandy fields
Our FIRST impression then was that cx-
portation would be impossible alto
3'sether. and that the whole season
would be lost But the results
were really better than We had antici-
pated. Expectation was found possible
to the United States without Interrupt
tion; also 10 England. Sweden. Norway
and Denmark. Germany and Austria.
France. and even Russia. Many orders.
however. were Cancelled or cut down.
Domestic Establishments made neces-
= sary by the departure OF many mill
lions Of men for the battle nelds Of
EuTope caused the abandoning OF much
OF the garden be&Itifying 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-
lions IN several foreign countries. to
be sold In that way ut exceedingly low
prices-which did not help the Dutch
bulb business. Al the end OF the ex-
port season tulips and narcissi proved
to be practically all sold, while there
stiil remained an important stock Of
hyacinths In the warehouses. which
had TO he thrown away in the end
PRICES OF MOST KINDS
OF BULBS DECLINE
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 1913, but these figures
are deceptive, They can be accounted
for by the large size and heavier weight
i OF the bulbs. and also by the large
quantities sold at auction. upon which
there was little, II any. profit TO the
vendors or the bulb growers
The financial losses 70 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 tho
United States have not irrepairahly
suffered. while those exporting chiefly
10 Russia have had a very bad year
This spring tho representatives of
tine bulb firms OF Holland have
travelled as usual 20 take orders and
make collections for former supplies
They report, generally. that payments
even in the countries at war. are COM
i ing in far better than expected. They
are. however, booking their new orders
as rule without definite ARRANGEMENTS
as 10 prices as many large buyers Of
9hulbs prefer TO wait until later before
confirming their orders. If the war
4 looks as II 1t might continue on into
next spring. OF course. many Of these
3orders will be lost. and the plight OF
| the Dutch bulb growers Will be worse
than ever"
It is the smaller bulb growers who
suffer most. just as II is the small
butcher baker and candlestick maker
in Holland who has, so far, had to bear
the chief burden OF wars misery The
small bulb grower must sell to the
large wholesaler. who has the facili-
| ties FOR storing the bulbs and can
afford TO do So One large wholesaler
/ OF Hillegom. near here, recently stated
! that he had received over 1000. 900
! bulbs at his warehouses. Of which he
had been able to dispose OF only 100000.
These bulbs came from the small
growers.
4BULD FIELDS RARE
SIGHT TO TOURISTS
The bulb fields OF Holland are a rare
slight familiar to tourists especially
during the tulip Towering season. Be-
fore the tulips however. there have
| been the snowdrops. the croci and the
narcissi. and after them come the
hyacinths and the gladioli. The tulip
bulbs are, as a rule. OF FIVE years
growth. and are sold in their third
wear. They are sold while yet in
flower. In the case OF small grower by
auction. held on the ground by local
3notaries. who make very good thing
out of II, whether the grower does or
. not.
When the crop has been sold the
blossoms are cut and heaped in a pile
| in corner of the field to rot and serve
as fertilizer. Some o. the finer ones
are sold TO dealers In cut flowers; many
are given to anybody and everybody
who asks for them. or fine Sunday
| in spring II is great sight to watch
thousands Of bicycles sweeping into
| THE Hague, Amste lam or Rotterdam
about shutdown, their riders decked with
garlandS Of the most beautiful tu1tns