Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1891-07-10
THE CITIZEI n.
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE FLOWER BUSINESS.
What the Recent Census Shows in Re-
gard to Horticulture.

What the Recent Census shows in Re-
gard to Horticulture.
For the first time Horticulture as an
industry was made a subject of special
investigation by the last census. In
fact, ii is only within recent years that
it has assumed proportions in this coun-
try justifying such a systematic inquiry.
Nearly two-thirds Of the 1859 estab-
hshments in existence, says the New
York Sun, when the census was taken
We're started during the last twenty
years, and more than one-third during
the last ten years. Four-ffths of the
whole business of the commercial flor
lists has been developed within twenty
five years.
The census report shows that the
whole number of acres covered with
glass was nearly 900. More than $751;
600, 900 were invested in the fixtures and
heating apparatus. Nearly 1900 men
and 1900 women were employed in the
cultivation and its attendant industries,
and the total value Of plants and shrubs
produced was more than SO, 900, 600, and
Of cut flowers more than S14, 900, 600.
So far as the public taste is indicated
by the purchases the rose Is unquestion-
ably the favorite popular flower. One
frm alone reported the sale of 4 million
of the plants in 1889. The plants are
grown in very small pots, which are
sent by post throughout the union OF
cut flowers, next TO the rose and closely
following it, carnations are mostly in
demand, the two together furnishing
nearly two-thirds of the receipts from
sales Then come violets, chrysanthe-
NUNS, lilies hyacinths, heliotrspes,
pansies, tulips and few others, max
ing up one-quarter of the total value.
The remainder, or about one-tenth, IS
furnished by the demand for orchids,
tuberoses, mlgnonette, camellias and
the rest. The majority Of the reports
describe roses as the most profitable
product, with carnations second and
vioIets third. OF the towering plants
sold in the northern and eastern states
geraniums are most in demand. In the
south they come after roses and chrys-
anthemums and in California after
these two and carnations also.
The greatest centers for the propaga-
ton of roses are in Pennsylvania, Illi-
nois and Ohio and Of hardy plants in
Illinois, New York and Kansas. The
sales 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. Pro-
portionately to its size New Jersey does
the largest business in cut flowers, and
for the obvious reason of its nearness to
New York, the greatest market. It's
sales of cut flowers amounted in value
to nearly s1,SoO,ooO.
Plants are the speciality of some for
lists and cut flowers of others and some
supply both, selling most of their
product by wholesale. Others, again,
devote themselves to carnations or vio-
lets, their business also, where it IS
large, being almost entirely wholesale.
The increase in the demand IS steady
and it extends all over the union. It IS
the result of the growth Of house deco
ration, of the spreading taste and desire
for the identifying of private grounds,
of greater and more general love for
flowers among rich and poor and the
decrease in prices because of the in
crease in production.