Excavating in my basement produced a 1974 edition of the Van Tubergen, Zwanenburg Nurseries, Haarlem (Holland) Wholesale Catalogue of Bulbs, summer and autumn. On page 37 there is a photo of "Mr. Th. Hoog and his grandson Antoine M. D. Hoog visiting the Hillegom nurseries." They are standing in a field of hyacinths. "NOTE: Our customers' special attention is requested for the home-grown Dutch Hyacinths, of which we grow large quantities. The pure dune sand which is being used as growing medium yields sound healthy bulbs of excellent forcing capacity." They were offering /Hyacinthus amethystinus/, /amethystinus albus/, /azureus/ (syn. /Muscari azureum/), /azureus albus/, /azureus amphibolis/, /candicans/, (/Galtonia candicans/, see our Autumn and Spring catalogue), AND /tabrizianus/, flowers white, pale blue shaded, 3 inches, March . . .each D.fl. 9.- There is a list of 12 specially prepared hyacinths for Christmas and earliest forcing: sizes available 18/19 cm, 17/18 cm, 16/17 cm, and 15/16 cm. Rosalie, a soft pink, earliest of all, flowering at least a fortnight in advance of the other varieties and producing small bulb is available in 14/15 and 13/14cm There is page after page of single hyacinths, sizes 19 cm and over. These are classed as top size. First size are 18/19 cm, and second size are 17/18 cm. Third size "These cheap Hyacinths still produce fine spikes and make a fine effect if closely planted in beds and borders." 16/17 and 15/16 cm. Skipping over the miniature hyacinths to arrive at multiflora hyacinths I find Borah Snowwhite, described as a fine pure white sport of Borah, available as both 17/18 and 16/17cm size bulbs Four cultivars of double hyacinths, 16/17 cm Also bulbs such as Hymenocallis littoralis, Galanthus nivalis regina-olgae, Lachenalia - Ah, those were the days. Judy, looking for Dr. Who and his tardis to travel back and stock up.