New-York tribune., 1900-08-05
A VIOLET FARMER.
MRS COGHILL TELLS OF HER SUCCESS
IN CULTTVATING THE FLOWERS
PLEASING OCCUPATION.


Violet farming is a popular industry for
In the South of Ireland. Some pursuing it
means of livelihood others to raise money for
philanthropic work and still others pastime.
Among the last Lady Aeen Wynham Quin
and Miss r. r. Somerville writer, Lady Castle
rosse has large farm at Killarney. which she
started for the purpose of raising a sum Of money
large enough TO extend the system of cottage iu-
dustres established by her. A thriving farm at
Castletownsbend County Cork, is owned and man
aged by Mrs. Hildegarde A COghill. She began 1t
gradually extending the borders of her violet beds
she the profit derived from them. In
recent interview with a Tribune reporter she said;
81 wish to preface my remarks by warning any
who thinks OF growing vioets that they are
the capTicious of flowers, and that before he
lays down a large section OF land under violets il
would be we'll for him TO ascertain whether these
flowers grow we'll In his district. / have heard OF
cases where skilled gardeners have given every
care and trouble. the sheltered aspect, the
richest manure, the best of violet runners but all
TO purpose. The violets refused to blossom or
give any return for the money and labor spent on
them. I started my farm in 1881. my original plan
being devote my land to vegetables and daffo-
dis. More for pleasure than profit. l planted vio-
lets in a plot about twenty feet square. But to
my surprise I realized nearly as much money
from the sale of violets from that little patch as
l diG from my entire garden. Consequently
gradually increased the of land under VIC
let's until now have more than two OF them
by thus slowly increasing the size of the farm he
cause 1t gives opportunity provide his
own runners and plants. Violet sufficient
for acre Of ground cost good deal Of money
Market gardeners here charge as high sometimes
as so a thousand for Car violet plants. and as
sixteen thousand required for the planting of
one acre, this would mean serious outlay.
PROFIT IN THE CzAR VIOLET.
THE large Car violet l have found the most
profitable for the market. and it thrves especially
well with ] frequently gather blooms an incn
in diameter, the poets modest violet being quite
thing Of the past, far sale purposes are
concerned: the Car violet which STANDS boldly
upright and scorn5 to hide its head under its
leaves. Is the by which Inaks MONEY The
Devonieusis is also a good violet smaller than the
Car and IL color reddish purple This violet is
particularly frost resisting and will often grow
well where TIE Car does not prosper At all.
"Volets prefer a mild camp climate, and cannot
blossom steadily If subjected to weeks Of frost and
snow. They dislike too high cola wind and it
ia useless TO pant then in windswept field. A
sheltered sunny field means a doubling of the
profits.
In the cultivation of vioets my modus operardl
is as follows: In October / choose sheltered field
II possible Bit of pasture land. Land from which
& crop (potatoes, etcD has just been dug will
also suit, but in the latter it is not neces-
sary to plough 1t until just before planting the
violets If it be pasture land. have ii all pouGhed
drills III October. and then leave II alone until
January. when get il hacIad softened ard made
into long beds four fest VIDE, with a trench
between each bed for the pIckers To walk IN. Many
people advocate planting in driits, but have
tried 1t myself. although believe IT TO be a good
plan. 4 fertilizer i Laid the beds and
about three inches 0f earth from the trenches is
placed over il In February and March L have the
runners planted, choosing darp days and putting
the plants about ten in, hes apart. Nothing else
remains to De doHe, except u replace failures ana
to keep the beds well wcedeG through the sum
mer. -,
have grown them equally eli in peaty soil. heavy
land with clay, ana also IN light soil. A rich soil
and plenty OF fertilizer-fifuy loads acre-is
and three years running in the same ground. but
change Of land is always an advantage.
give q slight top dressing of guano. This is con-
finued about every six weeks during the blossom
ing season.
DELIVERING THE BLOOMS.
My vioets begin to bloom profusey early in Sep
tenDer hut I find they do not travel well unit!
the end that month, the weather being still too
hot At the end OF September the beginning of
October / begin sending the flowers 70 florists and
to the public auctions The best blooms send 20
the florists. | supply a good many private orders.
sending weekly supplies and casual orders for dll-
parties ana pazaars ana charging apout 1V
pei cent less than florists prices. My flowers are
ali delivered carriage paid.
i employ boys pckefs. Most OF tfen! are or
phans. and all very poor. II is wonderful TO
see how clever these little fellows get about the
can M Violet boys They are permanent The
rest are pickers. The flowers arranged In
neat compact punches of one hundred blooms each.
lied in with them. But most florists prefer the
leaves in separate lunches OF twelve each for
the bottom of the boxes and divide them from the
flowers by sheets of butter paper. because it is said
Before packing and after picking the yfolets
put into tepid water for hour. The boxes in
and the boys nail the parts together on wet and
frosty days, when there is no picking to be done.