In your paper of February (pages 61-62) you give a very interesting correspondence about profits of plant and seed collecting; and although I agree totally with your reply, as the principal object of the correspondence is a bulbous plant, I thought it might be of some use to give my opinion on bulb collecting, especially as there are made many mistakes in that way. My firm has imported from foreign correspondents or collectors bulbs for more than half a century, and by experience I can state there is a great difference as to the value of such importations.

As a general rule (there are exceptions without doubt) it may be said that the value of bulbs collected in a wild state is inferior to that of those which have been cultivated already, and when cultivated it depends upon how this has been done. As for example for Narcissus, the way we cultivate them here in Holland in a soil perfectly adapted for this speciality, preparing the ground with much care, and taking up bulbs every year and replanting them as soon as possible, we get the finest and largest bulbs lor the trade there exists, and such as usually are not supplied anywhere else so fine. Amateurs like to have their Narcissus in the same spot for more than one year to enjoy a finer flowering, and they are quite right. But when such plants are taken up after some years the bulbs are, if not all, at least for the greater part, misformed, and although very easy to multiply, totally unfit for a first-rate trade for other purposes. If Narcissus are taken up from the field or wilderness there is another inconvenience besides; one never is certain if these will come to bloom the first year, as generally the difference of location has such an influence as to prevent the flowering, and then at last sometimes several years before the bulbs have reestablished themselves, so as to become adapted to the new mode of cultivation, and in consequence to flower regularly every year, especially some sorts of the Majus acantae section or the ajax have this particularity.

Your correspondent can conclude from this that if in retail there is charged 25 cents per bulb, it may be necessary to give a very much inferior wholesale price for introduced ones. To conclude about Narcissus, the sort your correspondent names must be the Bulbocodium of the ----------------section (the Hoop Petticoat narciss),but it is very doubtful that it should be that sort, as Bulbocodium always gives a small bulb. If your correspondent will send us a few bulbs, as sample, we shall plant them and try to bring them in bloom and say what it is, after having flowered them.

The bulb of Sulphur Trumpet is much larger. This is quite a different variety, belonging to the Ajax section. There is a very small chance for it to be this sulphur colored variety. True, if it was, it would be of some value, as the true Sulphur Trumpet is scarce at present. As for Bulbocodium there is quite a sufficient stock of it in cultivation in Europe at different stations at this moment to secure a moderate wholesale price, and therefore if a certain quantity is to be sold extra this can only be done at a figure much beneath the usual price, as people always prefer to buy what they know to that of which they have no experience, and only a very cheap price can induce them to part from this rule.

Collectors often suppose that all of the bulbs of this or that sort which they send us are salable at a good price. Leading firms are often willing to give a good price if good things are offered, especially new or rare ones in a quantity in proportion to the number salable, and if they are certain that the same article is not in every one's hand or is not thrown on the auction market a few weeks after they have bought it. This is done too frequently, and the consequence is that people are not so much inclined to buy the first offered importation of bulbs as they perhaps were in former times.

There is in the bulb trade a number of articles which are salable in enormous masses, because they are generally known and are favorites for forcing purposes, for bouquets, etc., but it is usually a long time before such things, when new, become popular and salable in such masses. For this purpose better prices are had after their good properties are more and more known. At present Hyacinthus candicans has a general popularity, and every year hundred thousands of bulbs find their destination. When it was first published in the "Refugium Botanicum Tonnares," in 1870, it remained several years unobserved and unknown. Our firm was one of those who pushed it, but it required much trouble to bring it to the well deserved popularity of the present moment. It was introduced in small numbers, and the sale could be brought in proportion to the multiplication. If in 1870 a large number had been introduced at once, it is very doubtful if it would have become such a favorite.

There is in bulbs, too, a maximum trade price possible, and when the wholesale quotation surpasses that figure the sale goes back and this has a bad influence for the future trade in such an article. The common single Duc Van Tholl Tulip is used in Germany very much for forcing, and three bulbs in a pot can fetch there a price of six American cents; for such a price enormous lots can be sold in bloom early in autumn and at Christmas. Now the Dutch wholesale price for the dry bulbs some years ago has been for a long period two dollars a hundred and more, to make profit with bulbs bought at that rate a pot with three bulbs had to be sold at least at twelve American cents, a price much too high in comparison to that of other flowers, ready at the same period; the consequence was that the demand of this article was more and more reduced. At present the wholesale price is much lower than before, and such as to come to the old figure, which would permit a very large sale; but now the demand has not increased in the same proportion.

The forcing of the Van Tholl is not so much practiced as before, other varieties of tulips having partially taken its place, among these the scarlet Due Van Tholl, notwithstanding the common Van Tholl, is always the best for very early forcing.

From such examples it results that buyers of imported bulbs, either gathered in the wild or cultivated, can only buy a certain number at a certain price. In proportion as the number offered exceeds the immediate want, the price to be paid must be lower, to make up by the difference the loss of interest occasioned by a longer period of sale becoming necessary, or the cultivation covering some years; or if buyer wishes to sell all within a short period, to pay extraordinary costs necessary for advertising and publishing to push the article. Then some articles of which the usual trade furnishes a sufficient stock, are not really totally unsalable. For a great number of bulbs, not generally known, and not employed for some special purpose, there is only place for a restricted number to supply the amateur and some growers who keep collections. These remarks naturally do not concern a local trade, they have only relation to the position of the trade of bulb collectors on tha world's market.

A great inconvenience arises when collectors send bulbs without, or with wrong names. In such cases the value of the bulbs is much inferior as to what it would have been otherwise. Received without a correct name, the article first must be cultivated, and is not salable before it has flowered and the name has been ascertained. Great error occurs from sending under false names, so large numbers of the fine but totally different Sprekelia glauca were some years ago sent as Amaryllis formossissima to the great disappointment of those who received them.

The best plan for collectors is to correspond with one or only a very few leading firms, and before sending out any thing, first to inquire what is salable and in what numbers. In every doubtful case it is advisable to send first a small quantity as sample, that the expected buyer may see and if necessary study this, and then if the offer is accepted for later consignments a fair price can be paid. Haarlem, Holland.