VAN KAMPEN, Nicolas

A rare treatise on bulbous plants, including tulips, and their cultivation by a noted Harlem nurseryman. According to Anna Pavord, Kampen's decision to publish the book in French was a commercial one: ""The French had been the first to single the tulip out for special attention, distinguishing it as a flower that was not just there to decorate the garden, but was worth cultivation for its own sake - Van Kampen dealt with the hyacinth first, then the tulip, followed by the ranunculus and anemone, the order reflecting quite accurately the relative importance of these flowers at the time"" (Pavord, The Tulip, p.192).