The Flying Dutchmen: A Short History

During the sixties in Holland, all that was available to smoke was hashish, and low grade imported grass. During the mid seventies a small number of Dutch enthusiasts started to grow two Dutch strains, known then as, " The Purple" and "The Green Lemon" types. These were very large plants, with small buds and a very average taste and high. In fact, during the second World War this grass was used as a substitute for tobacco. Eventually a few seeds made it over from Afghanistan, and so the Dutch started to work with this new variety. Suddenly this weird character Eddy showed up on the scene from America, trying to introduce the Dutch enthusiasts to some new varieties of seeds!

He brought over pure, true breeding strains, like Early California, Thai, Mexican, silver Haze from Columbia, Afghan, and South African seeds. Most importantly, he brought over a few 'crosses' that he had already made himself, including the very first Skunk Number One, ( a Columbian, Mexican, Afghan cross). This earnt him his present nickname "The Skunk Man". Eddy, who worked directly with The Skunk Man and now runs The Flying Dutchmen Seed Company and The Cannabis College Foundation, was one of the three major players of that time with an interest in superior plants. The base genetics for almost all the grass that you see in Holland today, originates from these guys work. They were all a little skeptical of The Skunk Man's "bigger and better" American ways, but Eddy decided to grow out his seeds in greenhouses, using crude methods to simulate day and night cycles, and gauge the results for themselves. In 1984 the first crop was grown out and the results were astounding. Higher yield and better quality.

Eddy never looked back. In order to find ideal genetics (both make and female), plants were being grown out of seeds, tens of thousands at a time in greenhouses, and the top 50 selected, then crossed again and grown out thousands at a time, always trying to isolate the best! But once you've found the best breeding stock by allowing all plants to fully mature (flower), how do you hold that plant back for future breeding genetics?!

There was talk, that in America a couple of people had experimented with the concept of cloning! Eddy took some mature female flower cuttings and left them under florescent lights in someone's attic in the hope that they just might take.

After eight weeks only 20% survived but it wasn't until a further six months had elapsed that one of the plants "sprouted one little leaf!" Probably the first successful cloning of flowered cannabis ever. From the moment that little leaf shoot appeared, cannabis history changed forever!!! Taken from an interview with Eddy by Sjoerd (or Shourd for the non-Dutch amongst us!). You can meet Eddy at the Cannabis College, Amsterdam, or at the Flying Dutchmen, which is just opposite the College.