Country Life
ENGLISH. BULBS.
It is a welcome sign of the times that among the numerous Dutch catalogues of bulbs that reach thousands , of us in scores at this season are some English advertisements of the same sort. The English bulb industry continues to expand. We must not expect too much of it. Our growers cannot yet supply us with the range of bulbs, either of varieties or species, that are grown in Holland, which has been specializing in this branch of gardening for several hundred years, and is admir- ably suited in soil. Nevertheless, we have to remember that Eastern England round the Wash is one end of the same shallow valley that emerges from the sea at Holland, and its Western end is rather better both in soil and climate than its Eastern. We are to-day actually exporting bulbs in con- siderable numbers to Dutch growers. Our daffodils are supreme ; and many of our tulips, hyacinths and lilies as good as the best, and should be preferred by English gardeners. Some firms who now send out coloured catalogues on the Dutch model deserve encouragement on national grounds.
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