The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1934-03-09

for satirists In both literature and art.
The tulip mania called forth not only
serious horticultural essays by such
men as Pierre Wallet, John Parkin-
son, and Lauremburg, but Juvenalian
jibes by Petrus Hondius. who, in his
"Dapes Inemptoe," 1921, had called
people fools who devoted their entire
gardens to flowers which bloomed for
only few weeks each year. Hondius
was the leader Of a group of writer's
who ridiculed tulips and tulip growers.
The "Mania Pamphlets"
Probably the Dutch government.
alarmed at the extent of the bulb gam
bling, inspired some Of the humorists
to poke fun at the craze. A series of
"Mania Pamphlets" was published in
1887, a few months after the dis
astrous liquidation. In these publica-
lions appeared drawings or cartoons
showing the tulip "maniacs'' in ridic-
ulouS antics.
One skit pictured group of traders
sitting around table under gigantic
foolscap, while toiling gardeners Ia
bored outside with baskets, rakes, and
barrows, and curious crowd looked
on. The cartoon was titled "Flora's
Foolscap." Another picture, "Flora's
Carriage of Fools" represented a
crowd Of tulip fanciers in wagon
equipped with sails. All were adj
miring their tulips and queue of
well-dressed folk followed the carriage
with hands upstretched, begging for
flowers
The original pamphlets were distrib-
uted in 1887, and in 1874, when a
hyacinth mania threatened, they were
reissued as warning to spectators.
Even after the mania subsidized, gar
deners pursued their hobby with such
devotion as to provoke satirists to lam
pooh them. In 1858 Jean de la
Bruyere wrote in his Characters"
"The lover of flowers has garden
in the suburbs, where he spends all his
time from sunrise till sunset. You
see him standing there, and you would
think he had taken root in the midst
of his tulips before his Solitaire; he
opens his eyes wide, rubs his hands,
stoops down and looks closer at it;
it never before seemed to him so
handsome.
HE is in an ecstacy of joy, and
leaves it to go to the Orient then to
the 'Veuve,' from thence to the Cloth
of Gold on to the Agatha and at
last returns to the Solitaire where
he remains, is tired cut, sits down, and
forgets his dinner; he looks at the
tulip and admires it's shade, shape,
color, sheen, and edges it's beautiful
form and calix; but God and nature
are not in his thoughts, for they do
not go beyond the bulb Of his tulip,
which he would not sell for thou
sand crowns, though he will give it to
you for nothing when tulips are no
longer In fashion, and carnations are
all the rage.
"This rational being, who has soul
and processes some religion, comes
home tired and half starved, but very
pleased with his days work; he has
seen some tulips"
Fancy Names for Tulips.
English gardeners were not less en-
thusiastic than their fellows on the
continent, and in the Taller for Au-
gust 81, ITO, Joseph Addison chaffed
them in an amusing letter. Probably
no other flower has been given in its
several varieties such an imposing lot
of "highfalutin' names as have been
bestowed upon tulips. In his letter
Addison tells Of taking refuge from
storm at wayside inn. He over
heard a group of men talking about
Admiral This, General That, and Lord
So-and-so. His interest intrigued, he
asked his host to admit him to the
distinguished company. OF course, the
great personages he had heard men,
toned proved to be varieties of tulips.
His host took him later into the inn
garden to see bed of tulips. Addi-
son admired several, but was laughed
to scorn for his choice and told that
his favorites were only fools coats.
The owner of the bed boosted that the
small strip of ground. 20 yards long
by two in breadth, was worth more
to him than the best two hundred
acres Of land in England.
Though the tulip has been the butt
of considerable ridicule, 1t still appeals
irresistibly to gardeners everywhere.
The second Sunday in April is usually
Tulip Sunday at HARLEM, and on that
day the tulip is king. For miles
bright blooms smile under golden sun
light. To the air passenger the coun-
try must look like gaudy patchwork
quilt; for there is no mingling of
colors in bed, separate plot being
devoted to each hue.
The growing Of bulbs is on COM
mercial scale. and no attempt is made
at~artistic arrangement. Indeed, the
flowers are moved of ruthlessly and
used as fertilizer on the beds.