Arizona republican., 1918-11-29
America. GAINS NEW
INDUSTRY FROM WAR
(Pittsburg Dispatch)


Uncle Samuel has constructed new
industry of vast proportions from the
ruins of Hollands blasted hope. No
industry in the world was harder hit
by the European war than the grow
ing Of Towering bulbs in the Neither
lands. The production of these rare
bulbs is a business that has been
classed among luXuries, and Europe
has done away with luXuries since food
famine faced her millions. Tales,
heart rending to the enthusiastic col
lector, come TO us from the historic
bulb farms of France, Holland, Bel
GUM, regarding bulbs being fed TO
cows and hogs by the Wheelbarrow
load-bulbs worth as much as several
hundred dollars each under normal
conditions.
1t is easy to foresee that the bulb in
dustry of the world would soon pass its
heydey, and that collectors would be
without these forcing plants. had not
the logical people, the Americans,
stepped in and rescued the dying in
dustry from the war caldron.
That rare bulbs find a large follow
ing in the UNIFIED States is assured
from the fact that under normal con-
ditions our florists export between S.,
100000 and s10,000,000 American gold
annually for these brOwnish, myster-
ious things. And it will be news, glad
some news, too to a host of Americans.
to learn that not only shall we produce
this vast quantity at home hereafter
but have in excess a nice supply with
which to restore Europes otherwise
passing industry.
| Raising bulbs is a highly specialized
and arduous trade. The hyacinth, for
example, starts to bloom early in April
and from that month until July when
| the late blooming Spanish iris is
| aflame the fields are great banks and
| masses of delicate petals and glowing
color. Even before the hyacinth, the
early dewdrops and crocuses are peep
| ing UP, but the bulb season is Off
| cially opened, so to speak, when the
! first hyacinth blooms.
/ If the bulb industry is strictly speak
ing. useless one in war time, it is
! probably in all times the most beauti-
full in the world, and the old world
4 surely needs beauty these days The
fields are a delight TO the eye and the
| nostril The most advanced botanical
| science has been lavished on these
brown and commonplace appearing
roots. So amazingly expert do the
| growers become that one of them will
lead you to a heap of shapeless. twist
ed, dried bulbs, all looking for all the
world alike, and quickly and accurately
separate some 80 different varieties
telling you the name of each and the
appearance of its flower. Such skill is
| a highly necessary asset in the bulb
business, for bulb worth 80 cents and
a bulb worth $500 may look as neal
alike as two peas to the unframed eye
Several years ago, six to be exact
the United States department of agri-
culture experts thought that the United
States should be capable of producing
at least a share of the millions of dol
lars worth of bulbs imported each year
from Europe. A bulb farm was insti-
tuted on the fertile valley farm of Bel
bingham, Washington, and thus the
northwest became the center of inter
est and ultimately the birthplace of :
new American industry The soil anC
climate of this region not only demon
strated fully that we could produce our
own bulbs, but that We could do it il
less time, in greater number of off
shoots and have as a result superior
bulbs to any imported at high prices.