Evening star., 1936-05-17
HOLLANDS TULIP
SEASON At HEIGHT
Canal Flows Through Aals-
meer's Picturesque Mar.
ket Hall.

HARLEM, Holland, May 16.-
Springtime makes the people OF
every nation feel expansive and happy.
but the most expansive this time OF
year are undoubtedly the tulip growers
of Holland. For Spring is tulip time
here. and the acres and acres OF
tulips that spread away as far as the
eve can see are not only thing OF
beauty today, but also mean good
hard guilders in the pocket this Sum-
ner when the bulbs are harvested.
The whole region from here to Ley
den is now one great flower garden
set in a network of canals. Great
heaps of flowers are piled at the cor
ners Of each plot of land, for all
blooms must be picked If the bulbs are
to mature properly. Thousands OF
flowers are sold. their owners taking
them to market by boat, but they rep
resent only a mite of the entire
harvest.
Canal Through Building.
One of the most interesting sights
at this time is the market of tulip
town, such as Aalsmeer. At Aalsmeer
the great market hall is so built that
canals flow through the center OF the
building, boats with loads of flowers,
vegetables and fruit floating directly
into it. Everything is auctioned of
early in the morning. and then many
Of the flowers are loaded into trucks
and rushed to the nearest airport
where they are put on planes for the
capitals of other European nations.
This year is a particularly appro-
pirate one for visit to Hollands
bulb fields. for it is just 300 years
ago that the famous tulip mania
or rage for specializing in tulip bulbs
reached it's height. and then on April
~. 1886, was suddenly stopped by a
government proclamation which made
invalid all contracts in connection
with tulips.
One $3.50 Bulb.
Rare specimens. varieties which Ions
ago passed out of vogue. were sought
after so much at that time that they
were dealt with on the stock exchange.
Of leading cities, and people sold nome.
and land in order to invest in tulips
A single bulb of the most famous va
riety of the day. the "Semper Au'
gustus," white flower with red mark
ings, sold for $500 forms. worth il
that time about $3.50. When tht
crash came thousands of people were
left poor, and the economic balance O.
the nation was upset for years; bu
the love of tulips lived on and Hol
land became the great tulip-growins
country it is today.
Harlem and the tulip country hav,
other attractions to serve them once
the Spring flowers are gone One O
the most interesting is a drive to the
dunes along the North Sea. At frs
one passes through fiat, fertile coun
try. then into region of villas. thl
country homes of Amsterdam bushes!
men. The Hollander looks forward tt
JOY and, contentment in his country
place, aid these expectations he ex.
presses even in naming it. Otter
as not it is called my Desire Is Salts.
fed" Pleasure and Rest" Rustic
Enjoyment" mot So Bad or "Larg.
Enough"
Cheese Market on Friday.
Up the coast from HARLEM :.
Alkmaar, home of one of Hollands
most famous cheese markets. 1t /,
held every Friday morning, but cheeses
start coming in Thursday afternoon
They are, creased until they fairly
shine. then piled in orderly heaps in
the market square. When the bar.
gaining is over next morning, the
guild of cheese porters-men dressed
in white suits with lacquered straw
hats of green, blue. yellow or red
cart the cheeses of to the weigh
house, and almost before the travele,
realizes what is going on, the square
Is as clear as on ordinary days.