DUTCH BULBS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18608, 2 July 1930, Page 16

DUTCH BULBS.

THE STORY OF THEIR CULTURE. All over the world the Netherlands are well known for their horticulture, not only for their vegetables and bulbs, but also for their fruit, cut flowers, and potted plants. The bulbs are among the best known and most important of the national products, with an export figure, rising from year to year, of about £3,500,000. Great Britain and Ireland import more than cent, of the total. The original tulips and hyacinths, together with other kinds of bulbous plants, were brought to Western Europe some 370 years ago from Turkey and Asia. The botanist Clusius, who held a professorship at Leyden, contributed, greatly to the spread of these plants. He obtained bulbs and seed from De Busbecq, the Austrian Am--1 bassador to Turkey. Clusius distributed the bulbs in the Netherlands, where the tulip soon became a favourite garden plant. Soon afterwards the tulip made its appearance in English gardens also. It was not until the second half of the seventeenth century that exports, more or less regular, developed to the surrounding countries—England, Germany and France. About the year 1700 printed price-lists were already being sent to England. At the end of the eighteenth century bulbs began to be forced so that they might bloom in the houses during the winter, and this meant a gradual change in the nature of the trade. But it was not till the second half of the nineteenth century that the cultivation began of enormous quantities of certain standard varieties such as we see to-day. The total area under cultivation about 1850 was not more than 750 acres, but by 1880 this area had doubled, and from that date onwards it continued to increase rapidly. At the present time bulbs are cultivated over some 15,000 acres. The classic bulb-growing district is found northwards and southwards of Haarlem, especially for hyacinths. It is now almost impossible to obtain ground which fulfils all the requisites: the price per acre has risen above £IOOO. Tulips, narcissi, and other « bulbous plants are less particular, and can be grown successfully on sandy and loamy soil which is not suited for hyacinths. A combination of circumstances soil exceptionally well suited for the purpose, the right water-level in the ground, the temperate maritime climate. and the long experience of a race of bulb-growers who have handed the industry down from father to son—all these explain the flourishing state of bulb cultivation in Holland. A “ Garden Of Roses.” Another centre of Dutch horticulture is the little village of Aalsmeer, famous for its cut flowers, especially roses and lilacs. In 1929 there were grown 60.000,000 roses, 18.000,000 lilacs, and 6,000,000 chrysanthemums. 1,000.000 pelargeniums and cinerarias, 2,000.000 convallarias. 1,000.000 azaleas and begonias, 100.000 cyclamens. 3.000.000 plants of pansy and primula veils, and large numbers of hortensias, ferns, palms, and so on. All are grown in hothouses. There are 150 acres of hothouses for roses alone. There are two co-operative societies for the sale of flowers. Each holds the Auction Union's auctions on every working day throughout the year. Tne auction takes place by means of an electrical apparatus opposite the seats of the buyers. A great dial-plate contains the ciphers 1 to 100. A square within the circle indicates in- pigeon holes the same numbers as are indicated on the seats. The products to be sold (or samples) are brought in . front of the buyers. The number of the purchase, the quantity, and the name of the grower are called out. and then the apparatus begins, the indicator moving downward from 100 towards 1. As soon as the indicator reaches the figure that indicates the amount which a buyer is willing to spend he can stop it by pushing a button on his seat. The moment the indicator stops the number of the buyers’ seat is lit in the square of the clock. Four miles from the centre of Aalsmeer is the aerodrome Schiphol. from where, in 1929. more than 350.000 pounds of cut flowers were forwarded by air to foreign countries.