The morning call., 1893-10-30
FLOWERS AND FRUITS.
Profit i'm Roses, Chrysanthemums
and PruneS.

Correspondence or The MORNING CALL
On the western side of the bay, within
easy reach of the city, are numbers of rose
and chrysanthemum gardens supplying
flowers to San Francisco. In fact, they
are more than gardens. Many of them are
acres in extent, employ numbers of work
men and grow besides these two kinds OF
flowers many others in smaller quantities.
Ii is surprising to see to what an extent
floral culture has grown within the past
ten or fifteen years. AS the city grows
land becomes more valuable, houses cluster
closer together. gardens are too expensive
a luxury, and my lady must needs buy her
flowers. The interest upon the value of
garden plats, too. is much more than would
cover all the expenditure for cut flowers
the most devoted flower lover could use.
San Francisco is such city of hotels and
boarding-hOuses, too, that many homes
with gardens about them perhaps are
buried in them. And still there is the love
for flowers. No house is furnished now
adays without it's bouquet of flowers. And
how they are IN or out OF the fashion, too {!
Yesterday, sweetpeas; to-day, chrysanthe-
nuns; tomorrow, cosmos. Roses only
are always 10 fashion.
Think of netting 500 an acre on chrys-
anthemums! 1t is not an impossibllity.
Two owners of chrysa rthemum gardens
to the writer's knowledge, in San MateO
County have received such an income each
for the past two or three years.
The growing of flowers is an industry
that could well be made decided success
In this Vicinity. There has never been a
frost but once in the past thirty years
heavy enough to kill heliotrope. one of the
most delicate of plants. With a minimum
of care flowers grow and bloom to perfec-
ton, and with water through the dry
months bloom just as long and freely as
they do in ho:houses.
1t would be hard to find a place in the
State where roses bloom more perfectly
than they do here. Those grown on the
other side of the bay in the open air can
not compare with them; those gro wn nearer
the city on this side are apt to be hurt by
fogs or are imperfect.
AS f1ower-cuture grows, as it must, an
other branch of the industry will grow
and prove lucrative-the growing of flow
or three places in San Francisco where
properly cured rose leaves, tuberoses, vio-
lets. etc., can be sold at good prices, and
If all that are now going to waste were
gathered and sold it would cut quite a
figure in reducing importations.
IL any one kind of flowers does better
here than another, 1t is the rose. There
ing at one time thousands of blooms, all
perfect, aud above the usual size.
Several orchardists near Niles have
made quite a penny out Of the empress
plum. Trees have been loaded, and
prices have gone as high as 80 cents a
box.
Prunes are still drying, although the
picking Is over. Late peaches are still
out drying. Fruit drys very slowly now,
as the summers heat is gone
Although prices are lows to cents
being offered this week-still prune-
growers will make money, as there has
been such an enormous crop. A large
crop of fruit is OF such great thing to be
desired. as the casual observer would
suppose. unless there is small crop Of the
same fruit elsewhere. A large crop
everywhere means a longer time to work
more trays, boxes, etc., an enormous labor
bill and small returns. Large crops, how
ever, are to be desired for the general
public: they mean cheap food and plenty
of work for the laborng man.
MRS. j. L. THANE.
Niles. October 2S 1SQ3