Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1896-05-01
THE DWARF SWEET PEA
! PHILADELPHIA: MAN REFUSES
$4,000 FOR ONE VARIETY.
The Legend of theRecovery of "a
Lost Rose-It Became unfver-
sally Popular.

Ten thousand dollars is said to have
been paid by a New York florist to some
Mfchigander for the sole right to the fam
GUS double carnation known as the - =
says the New York World New York
carnation growers, shrewd. active men,
wild Sawake to all going on In their line of
business, and fresh from the Interchange
of knowledge at their recent snnual COM
vention in this city. say that no carnation
known as the - is famous, or in
deed, known at all, and that the story is
lie put forth to boom somebody's seed
ling. And they add that the particulariza-
ton that 1t is double" carnation makes
1t ridiculous. But even If it had been true.
that would have been no great price to
pay If the new variety were anything
exceptionally fine, for, II must be remem-
bered. the sale would. of course, include
several thousand plants, a monopoly of
the cuttings from which would give Is or
20 times as many in the first season. And
novelties command big prices in the mark
ct.
A GOLDEN GLADIoLUS.
A certain Long Island fioriculturist and
dealer paid $4,000 for the sole right to a
greatly improved strain of gladiolus. 1t
was originated through artful hybridixa-
ton by the famous Max Leichtlin of Ger
many, several years ago, passed into the
hands of Nj. G. LIE Beouf mayor of Ar
gentuil, France. and was purchased by
an American grower, who without letting
1t out to the public, exerted himself to
get up large enough stock of bulbs for
a dealer possessed of adequate facilities
to flood the market at high prices and
get his money back the first and second
years after Introduction, Then the dealer
willing to put SO large sum into that
one speciality, came forward and the sale
was made. 1t is said that he cleared a
large sum the first year and much more
the second year, though, of course. at
greatly reduced prices Three or four
years generally bring down the figures,
especially on such reproductive bulbs as
the gladiolus, from $1.50 to 10 or 20 cents.
But In the meantime the controller of the
stock has advantages no one else is likely
to possess from the development of bulb
let's and cultivation of seedlings, so that
FOR at least five years he may calculate
upon good financial harvest from his
original investment. The price of $40 900
for so exceptionally attractive novelty
as this proved to be was, therefore, by no
means large.
A dwarf sweet pea growing in a
spreading bush only five inches high and
bearing a profusion of long-stemmed,
large. white flowers, has been put-on the
market this season. The entire stock
is controlled by a Philadelphia dealer,
who Is said to have refused cash offer
of $4,000 for it. AS he had a sufficient
quantity TO supply every scotsman in
the country, and the precious peas are
sold only in packets-20 peas for 20 cents
lit is more than propable that his profits
this season alone will exceed the large
sum offered in vain for his prize.
1t is legend among horticulturists that
the rediscoyerer OF the "Niphetos'' rose
got $4,000 for his lucky find, and that the
purchaser made $4,000 out of it, sun,
equivalent to much more as value runs
now, for that was good many years ago,
when Horticulture was less popular than
1t has become. AS the story runs, the
"Niphctos' rose was common in this
country go or 70 years ago. Then 1t dis
appeared and was believed to have been
entirely swept out of existence by some
strange epidemic disease. After 1t had
been lost to sight for several years, a
Philadelphia horticulturist accidentally
discovered one bush Of 1t blooming in a
secluded Virginia garden. The old lady
who owned the bush had some sentiment
tai reasons for cherishing it, but they
were less potent than the $50-bill the Phil
adelphian offered. When 1t came into
his possession he worked 1t for cuttings
to the utmost limit it could bear and
in one season was able to realize 100 times
his original investment. The long, slen-
der, snow-white buds were instantly and
universally popular, and the first Nipple
tos' plaIas IF the new stock sold readily
for Sc ach Soon active propagation by
cuttings made them common, and now
larger and finer roses have driven the
"Niphetos" into obscurity.