The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-01-25

. In Chicago certain men not long ago
formed a syndicate to carry on business
as wholesale florists Among their OBJ
jects. IL Is said, was to purchas. all the
notable productions OF the past year.
partly as a customary business measure,
partly for the sake Of advertisement.
Representing this combination, II. n.
Hieginbothsm offered $4,000, for the Mrs
Lawson Pink. IL was declined. The
owner Is said to have decided not TO sell
at all, but 70 distribute the stock himself.
This he will be able to do to good advant-
age and as good profit By next summer.
In the meantime he can sell the blooms
anywhere outside Of Boston, or be can sell
ali he eau produce OF them to the Boston
florist who was the ostensible authority
for the $50, 90 yarn sent over the country.
With this florist Fisher has contract, IL
is said, under which the retailer IL TO take
all the cut flowers Fisher can produce
during the life Of the contract, Fisher not
to sell elsewhere In Boston. In the tele-
graphed st cries, this florist figured ~ the
purchaser Of the stock. whereas he is the
purchaser of the cut flowers not only Of
the Lawson pink blooms but all cut
flowers produced at Mr. Fishers green
houses.
The pink is most easy of propaga-
ness yesterday. 1T Is the result OF study
and Industry when so new pink ms the
Lawson Is produced; but once produced
IT'S multiplication is rapid, and is aoJom-
pisneu with a facility that meanssa lively
business. Every side shoot from a parent
stem may be clipped off and imbedded In
sand and In fortnight, under favorable
conditions, 1t has taken root, and within
hve or six weeks 1t may be delivered. At
this rate it Is said that Mr.. Fisher should
DO able to distribute from SO0, 600 TO 2b0,-
900 of the plants the next season, Begin
ming In May.
FLORISTS are constantly OH the lockout
for such flowers. In London flowers from
three to i've times az large as the Ameri-
can pinks are produced, it Ia said, rubber
bands being used to hold the calyx to-
gether to keep 10 from bursting. Just
tLere Is ons OF tho points Of the norists'
trade. Ia this country they look for a
calyx that will hold itself together and
the people are content, apparently, to do
with less sizs II they cannot have szs
together with stability. Among the
points of a plant they include the nom
bursting caiyx, which hns to do with the
keeping qualities OF plant. Besides this
they seek plants vigorous, of more pro-
nounced fragrance. stronger stem, greater
ubstance ami greater blooms This
search Is ever kept up, tbs florists finding
patrons among themselves.
1T Is said. offhand, that SO, 600, 600
probably are invested In the florists busi-
ness here, but the chief requisites In pro-
ducins desirable plants along the lines
mentioned aro time, Intelligent study and
careful attention. Industry is constantly
being rewarded, although there is q large
element of ohancs in the crussir & of varie-
ties, ana sometimes out Of n large num-
Der Of seeds only one will give forth any
thing new or desirat 10. In the $40, 900, 600
figure just mentioned only the florists
growing cut flowers were included. The
nursery branch of the business Is Of
yet.
The cultivation OF pinks, roses,
chry sun themums, etc, Is carried ON
widely, no appreciable amount 4 capital
being necessary to start Gr prosecute the
business. ANY one with the Necessary
Intelligence and little land can go into
1t and experiment.. and may succeed In
raising new and valuable plant Tulip
cultivation is not attempted to any extent
in this country. The new tulips are all
In Europe; there is no crossing
In the United states. Orchids are main
ly the fad OF the amateur. Wealth Is nec-
essary to go into orchid cultivation, since
SO much time is required for maturing
the plants 1t is not a commercial posi-
bility. 4. l.. Ames of North Easton,
Erastus Corning of ALBANY, William s.
kimball of Rochester and MIR. MeFadden
Arnold of New York and MIR. Graves of
South Orange are among the well-known
Americans who have cultivated the Or
child. Cakes Ames continues asia business
enterprise at North Easton some of the
work his father was interested in. MIR.
Graves has what is said to be the (nomi.
nally) highest priced orchid in the Unit
ed States; the value is Of course, without
basis, since 1t Is what he
chooses to place 1t at, the orchid being of
his own production IL Is the MasdevslliR
Harryana, and he has declined an offer
of 81, 900 for it from England. Its attrae-
tion is in the fact that 1t is large and pure
white, one Of the rarest orchids in the
United States, the type running to lilac,
rose and pure red. Mr.. Graves got it
from n large Importation from the tropics
1t requires from three to seven years to
flower batch of these importations to
d. scover a valuable one. 1t IL sal that
the orchid of the accessible region OF the
tropics are all but destroyed, the collectors
have been SO active. Hybrids are pru-
duced here in some numbers by crossing.
Among the hiQh priced orchids In this
country Is the Irianae. Tor which Mrs.
Charles q. Roebling Of Trenton paid
$1,000.
''In roses, color-a good white; q good
red or solid pink-fs looked for, and
with the color, fragrance. Fecundity Is
q prime factor 10 be an object 70 the
norlst plant must yield
from thirty to fifty blooms in az winter
season. A new rose promised FOR next
year brought Its producer 5000 for
twenty plants.
"As an instance of the lottery OF the
florist's pursuit. take the purchase Of the
Her Majesty rose in London by Pbaa-
ielphian for IS, 900. 1t Is said 10 have
been q failureswhile rose that Is now
known as the Meteor which was pre-.
sented to the Philadelphian as of no spec
al value, turned out to be very valuable
and suocaaSf nj -