The record-union., 1894-01-27
FRAGRANT VIOLET FARMS.
A New Branch of Industry for Women
to Engage in.
One Fair Owner and Manager Deserted
New York Society to Raise
Beautiful Flowers.

Violet growing is comparatively new
branch of industry for women to engage
IN, and yet so successful have those en-
gagged in this branch of Horticulture been
that to-day the finest violets brought to
the New York market are raised by
women.
There are two thriving violet farms
managed exclusively by the women who
are their respective owners. One is
Meadow Springs Farm, at Stamford,
Conn, belonging to Mrs. Ned Leavitt,
and the other is the Holmdale Violet
Farm, at Madison, \. j.. owned and
managed by Mrs. Robert B. Holmes.
had heard so much of Mrs. Holmes
and her violet farm, through the florist
from whom I buy these fragrant bios
aOms, that curiosity impelled me to pay
visit to Madison, where it is said every
one raises flowers for the New York mar
ket, and the richest people of the town
add to their incomes by an occasional
consignment of rare flowers to the Fifth
avenue and Broadway dealers.
Crossing the Christopher-street ferry
one bright day last week took the train
for Madison, which is just an hours ride
from New York, A drive OF mile and
dale, mansion most exquisitely APP
pointed and furnished.
Alter waiting for a moment In the Ii
brary into which L was ushered by tidy
housemaid Mrs. Holmes came in.
When told her l had come to ask her
about her violet raising she said she
would gladly tell me all she could about
1t, for she was so in love with the occu-
patton she bad chosen that 1t was pleas
ure to talk about it.
''Tell me, Mrs. Holmes, how you ever
$ came to raise violets in the beginning? L
am sure you were not compelled to do it."
NO." said the fair horiculturist, Il
can't say l was compelled or driven to do
anything for a livelihood. If you will
allow me 1 will just tell you how it all
came about. Perhaps you would like to
go out to the violet houses where they
grow; there we can talk at the same
Iime.''
Going the length of the broad piazza on
the south side of the house, and crossing
the lawn, we entered one OF the houses
where the sweetest of all flowers are
grown, and here, in the violet laden at
mosphere, Mrs. Holmes told me how she
came TO be grower of these blue-eyed
blossoms.
''Some years ago [ married Robert B.
Holmes, who was, as he now is, Wall
street broker. We lived in New Y York,
where l was born and had always lived.
people who are much in society. 1t was
one constant round of social functions, so
hollow and heartless that | began to get
weary of it all and Ionged for a more
earnest sort of life. By and by the chill
dren began TO come, and, strange to say,
although Mr.. Holmes and l were both
strong and well, our little ones were deli
cate.
"Then persuaded by husband to go to
the country to live, and he did not need
much urging, l assure you, for he was as
sick Of city life as / was. We had many
friends who owned places out here, so we
bought this place eight years ago and
have lived here ever since.
Il must confess after the novelty wore
of I found country life rather dull, but
that was solely for the want of occupa-
ton. Soon after we lost our eldest child,
and you can imagine that life became more
mOnOtonouS than ever.
Il am passionately fond of flowers and
the dear one who died was so fond of
violets l began raising them in cold
frames, without any idea why / did-Iust
because loved the flowers for her sake.
q was marvelously successful from the
beginning. / supplied all my neighbors
and friends in New \ ork with violets,
and l became more and more interested
in the work. Then l said to myself, Why
should | not raise these flowers for the
market and try to make some money out
OF it?' So, with my husbands consent, |
had these houses which you see built a
little over three years ago. 1t was really
a risky thing to invest so much in an en-
terprise about which | knew so little,
but have never had any reason to regret
it.
81 believe my great success in raising
violets is due to TWO thlngs-hrst, [ keep
the temperature OF my houses SO low,
never above forty degrees at night and
during the day the same, save when the
heat OF the sun increases it; second, the
perfect cleanliness which I maintain
about the plants is great element toward
the success Of their growth. They are
like human beings, and must be kept
clean in order to look healthy.
II raise the violets from runners potted
off as small plants, and carry them in
pots through the summer; then early III
the fall 1 plant them in the houses as you
see them here in those table beds, six in 9
row; just such distance apart the entire
length OF the beds. do the cutting my
self and the potting, and only require as
sistance in transplanting. Oh, how much
experience teaches one in this work
II do all the punching myself, put
ting fifty vfolets in a bunch, and [ fre
ouently send IL 600 to New York daily.
bunch them one day, and slip the stems
through hole cut in piece of stiff paper
to keep the flowers from touching the
wafer Then L stand them in water anC
put them in dark. cool, dry place. anc
The next morning they are carefully
boxed and sent 10 the commission Of
middlemen in New 1ork.
''If we could only have flower market
as thew do in Paris, and take our violet.
directly there, it would be boon.
II raise but two varieties of violet-th'
Marie Louise, this large double fowe
Won see here, and the Swanley White
which | will show you in the other houses
over there, where they are grown.
There is new variety, the Lady
Hume Campbell, which l am expert
menting on. l do not raise the Russian
violet, as 1 do not like the single flower
thew droop so quickly. l have Learned
that vioIets should never be sprinklet
after they are picked. nor should they b
Next year mean to have rose farm
and go extensively into rose growing
New York Herald.
ON THE TOP OF MONT BLANC