The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-12-15
FLOWER FARMING UNDER
GLASS.

and steadily directed to one line OF ell
fort is well illustrated by the career OF
the Connecticut florist, A. N. Pierson.
| Beginning to learn the trade in Sweden
at fourteen years of age, he came to
America while still a young man. He
commenced putting up greenhouses IN
Middlesex county, Connecticut in 1917,
increasing the plant year by year until
it has grown to be among the largest
of flower-raising enterprises, covering
nearly ten acres with glass, besides
many acres in field culture, and repre-
senting a taxed valuation of 100000, a
sum no doubt for below its actual
worth. The product is sometimes
shipped in trainloads of four or five
cars, and reaches all the large cities.
| Whole fields are devoted to single
speciaties, the ly-of-the-valley, for
instance, with 100000 plants in each Of
two fields, and the shipment form these
plants this fall amount to 5000 blooms
day. There are $4,000 ehrysanthemum
plants, twenty-five houses used for
roses, four for carnations, holding 3d.
600 plants, and other houses used for
the growing of palms, ferns, ornament
al asparagus, smilax, Easter lilies, tu-
| lips and other specialties.
| During the year this mammoth estab-
| lishment sends out to it's customers the
bloom from about 10000 Japan and
Bermuda lily bulbs (each bulb produce
ing from one to twenty blooms) about
1,000,0 600 valley, 10000 tulips, 100000 mar
cissus of the different varieties, 100000
hyacinths and other flowers usually
found in greenhouses. 1t appears that
, these results, showing a floral establish
ment of unusual proportions, have been
reached through persistent energy,
based on solid foundation of business
knowledge and capacity, and a con-
slant investment of surplus earnings
toward the enlargement of the plant.
The income must be large, but Mr..
Peterson volunteers no figures merely
remarking that the "bills are paid"
One of these bills is $14,00 for soft coal,
of which 1000 to 1000 tons are used
every year. The labor bill reaches
$4S, 900.
The size and style of the houses va
ries; but many are of the even span
type, running east and west Sometimes
three fourth Of the north span is partit-
Toned offand used as practically a sep
arate house for such plants as lily-of-
the-valley, which can get along with a
moderate amount of sun and heat leav-
ing the sunny side wholly for roses and
other sun-loving flowers The houses
average about twenty-five feet wide,
glass used is sixteen by twenty-four
inches, and the owner estimates that
the house cost about eighteen dollars
per running foot. Some of the houses
are even span, some quarter and
three-quarter with short span to the
south. There Is a complete pipe drain
age system 20 carry off the rain water
which accumulates between the hous-
es.
The heating system of the newer por-
ton of the plant is provided with both
steam and hot water apparatus. The
hot water heat is preferred for bottom
heat in solid beds, but the steam heat
is more conveniently controlled in the
mild weather OF fall and spring. The
houses are fumigated to kill insect
pests with the vapor which comes from
tobacco stems moistened and spread |
over the steam pipes. This improved
process seems to clear the plants as
well as smoke, and is done at night, |
leaving the houses usually clear in day
time,
Notwithstanding the beauty of the
product the houses are operated on a
commercial basis, market value |
of the product being the point consid- |
cred, and only the proper flowers and |
the popular and salable varieties Of |
each are grown. In the rose houses are |
the costly but popular American Beau
ty, Bride and Bridesmaid the rich |
President Carnot, the sweet and dainty
Perle DIES Jardine and Kaiserin besides
other beautiful but less well known
kinds. These rose houses are each year
filed with new plants grown by graft
ing the improved varieties upon the
hardy Manetta stock imported from
Europe. To guard against diesase. the
soil of the houses is renewed every year
Dr. two, rich clay loan being prefer
red for this purpose. The surface soil
IS pared off wherever a field is found
If the right quality. Sometimes a
whole farm has been bought for the
sake of a field where the top soil was
suitable for greenhouse uses. This fill
ing is composted with manure some
months before being used in the houses.
Except for differences of temperature
he management of the houses for the
yarious species of plants is quite sim
lar In the houses occupied by the
ly-of-the-valley, a fresh lot of 1000
o 5000 pips are planted each day, and
Ut holiday times a much larger num-
Ter. When the bloows from these are
ut the roots are taken up and thrown
N the waste heap to make room for a |
Iesh planting, and in this way about
welve crops can be grown in one
louse during the year, it taking about :
ne month from the time the pips are .,
tainted to the time of cutting the
blooms for same Another lily, the well
.nown species from Bermuda. is ex-
ensively grown for the Easter trade :
Jew England Homestead.
Il H.