The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-09-02
THE FLOWER BUSINESS.
What tho ucccnt Census Shows In To
gard to Floriculture.

gard to Horticulture.
For the first time Horticulture us an
industry was made Il subject of special
investigation by the last census. In
fact, it is only within recent years that
it has assumed proportions in this coun-
try justifying such II systematic inquiry.
Nearly two-thrtls of the 1863 cstab-
lishmcnts in existence, says the New
York Sun, when the census was taken
were started during the last twenty
years. and more than onc-third during
the last ten years. Eour-iifths of the
whole business of the commercial for
lists has been developed within twenty
five years.
Tho census report shows that tho
whole number of acres covered with
Cias;, wns nearly 900. More than S3S,-
GOO, 900 were invested IN the fixtures aud
heating apparatus. Nearly 1000 men
and 1000 women were employed in the
cultivation and lis attendant Industries,
and the total value of plants and shrubs
produced was ,nolH than Sl2, GOA. 900, and
OF cut flowers more than Sll.o0a 0o0.
So far as the public taste is Indicated
by the purchases the rose is unqucetio.-
ably the favor!tc popular flower. Ono
firm alone reported tho sale OF !, million
OF the plants in 1850. The plants nrc
grown in very small pots. which are
scnt by post throughout the union. OF
cut flowers, next to the rose and closely
following it, curnutioils nro mostly in
demand, the two together furnishing
Ieurly two-thlrtis of the receipts from
sales Then come violets. chrysnnthc-
InrIls, lilies hyucinths, hcl;otropcs,
pansics, tulips and IL few others, lnnls-
ing up onc-Quurter OF the total v;Lluc-
The remainder, or about onc-t tenth, is
furnished by the demand for orchids,
tubcroses, mlgnonette, cnmcllias and
the rest. The majority of the reports
describe roses Hs. the most profitable
product, with carnations second and
violcts third OF the Towering plants
sold i'll the northern and eastern states
gcrauiuns are most in demand In the
south they come utter roses and chryS-
anthcmuns and in California after
these two and carnations also
The greatest ccntcrs for the propaga-
ton CT roses are in pcnnsylvnnin. Hi
nois and Ohio and of hardy plants IN
Illinois, New York and Kansas. The
snles of cut flowers are largest in total
value in New York, Illinois and Penn
sylvania. the states where the greatest
cities and the largest wealth are FRO
portionately tn it's size New Jersey docs
the largest business in cut flowers. and
for the obvious reason of its ncarncss to
New York. the greatest market Its
sales of cut flowers amounted in value
to nearly Sl.39O.O0
Plants arc the spocinlty Of some flor
lists and cut flower, Of others nnd some
supply 10th. selling most of their
product b. wholesale. Others, again.
devote themselves to carnations or vio-
lets, their business also, where 1t Is
large, being almost entirely wholesale.
The increase in the demand Is stccdy
and it extends all over the union It is
the result of the growth of house deco
ration, of the spreading taste and Gesi:~
for the bcautifying of private grounds,
of greater and more general love fo-
flowers among rich ard poor and the
dccrciisn in prices because Of the in
crease in production