TULIPS have enjoyed a' more romantic history than any other bulb. And their value, per bulb, has undoubtedly exceeded that of any comparable kind of planting material. Just a few hundred years ago a single tulip bulb was sold at the equivalent of three thousand dollars. That occurred during Holland's "Tulip Mania."

In Amsterdam towards the middle of the 17th Century it was not uncommon to trade a tulip bulb for a piece of real estate, a cow or a big piece of cheese. This mad desire to "get rich quick" on tulip bulbs came close to wrecking the financial structure of Holland.

The government finally stepped into the picture, the "bubble" burst and a lot of Hollanders were left sadder but wiser. Since 1634, when Holland's "tulip mania" reached its peak, the tulip has been subjected to thousands of breeding experiments. Almost every year new and novel varieties have been introduced. And all this time the price has been brought lower and lower. Today you can buy a bulb for a few cents; in 1634 an inferior specimen would have cost several thousand dollars.

Tulips, contrary to popular opinion, are not natives of Holland. They grow wild in many sections of Asia and southern Europe. Tulip seeds were first shipped from Turkey to Vienna, then routed to Holland sometime during the 16th century.

Ever since that, time the Dutch have improved on the original strains and today there are few gardens not charmed by Holland-grown tulip bulbs. The United States alone plants approximately 200,000,000 tulip bulbs every year.

The most recent trend in the commercial tulip bulb business has been expansion to the west; to the far west, in fact ... resulting in a new industry for the Pacific Coast. The Pacific Northwest is fast becoming a very valuable source for the production,' among other varieties, of tulip bulbs. You can plant American grown bulbs with every assurance of success. In fact, even experts cannot distinguish between imported and domestic bulbs.

In the Long Beach area late and deep planting leads the way to a bumper crop of prizewinning blooms. Early planting is often the cause of premature blooming and stems so short that the plant looks ungainly. Get your tulip bulbs down to a depth of at least six inches. The lighter the soil the deeper the planting.

Drainage is important for tulips as it is for practically all types of bulbous plants. An excess of moisture or standing water in 鈥?the vicinity of the roots or the bulbs may cause rotting. The possibility of this can be minimized by setting each bulb on a cushion of sand. Sand provides excellent drainage, water moving rapidly through it. Tulips prefer a rich, sandy loam in the Long Beach area; plant them in semi-shade or full shade if not too dark.

Some of the most reliable varieties for this region are: Bartigon, fiery crimson with white base; Wm. Copeland, bright lavender-blue, Wm. Pitt, dark scarlet with purple shadings; Zwanenburg, large pure white; Centenaire, clear rose on extra long stems; Clara Butt, clear salmon pink and Inglescomb Yellow, canary yellow.

A few novelty varieties are: Scotch Lassie, clear lavender shading to deep blue at the base; Insurpassable, immense flowers of orchid lavender with a white center; Gloria Swanson, bright carmine red with a blue base; Duke of Wellington, pure white flowers with creamy white stamens and Marshal Haig, pure scarlet red.