Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-24
KNOWS NO SEASONS
FRUITS, FLOWERS AND VEGE-
TABLES IN THE MARKETS.

In fruits, flowers and vegetables the
Washington markets know no seasons.
Peaches, strawberries. green beans. lettuce,
radishes, peas, cucumbers and other
vegetables, American Beauty roses, vio-
lets, carnations and other flowers all
here at Christmas time with only the
price to indicate whether they are in
season or out of season.
Rapid transit, refrigerating cars, and,
above all, the greenhouses of the tenn
perate zone have brought this about. 1t
is estimated by the Agricultural Depart
ment that there are over 1000 CONNER
cial institutions in the United States de-
voted to growing vegetables under glass.
Washington and other cities draw from
these artificially grown vegetables as
necessities.
Although the Romans hundreds Of years
ago had a limited knowledge of growing
plants under glass, 1t was not until 1928
that the experiment was worked sue
cessfully in the United States. Five years
later societies were formed for the pur-
pose Of encouraging and awakening in
terest In the greenhouse products, the
demand for which increased SO rapidly
that it was found necessary to resort to
modern methods. Hot water replaced
furnace heat in the greenhouse, making
results far more favorable than had been
possible in the dry heat from the hot-air
HutS. Acres are now lnClOSou III some Oh the
big buildings, and the cultivation of vege-
tables is given much attention as is the
growth of some rare flowers. AS the de-
mand for out-of-season vegetables in
creaseS, the greenhouses grow larger and
more numerous. Growing vegetables in this
way has proven a profitable investment for
hundreds, and If the demand keeps up
there is no telling the amount of money
which will finally be invested in vegetable
greenhouses in the United States.
OF course, the poorer class cannot af-
ford to pay the prices demanded for these
greenhouse-grown vegetables. There Is,
however, plenty of kale and spinach. The
District, Maryland and Virginia crop is
early and first-class, and worth in the
neighborhood of 5000 this season. Then
there is an abundance of celery, large, crisp
punches, selling for as low as cents. This
low price is attributed to the fact that
truck gardeners have demonstrated that as
fine celery can be raised in the District,
Virginia and Maryland as anywhere. Some
Of the marketmen say that where celery Is
carefully and scientifically raised here 1t
has a superior favor to that raised In Mich
1gan.
Tempting Display of Flowers.
There is nothing more tempting around
the market than the beautiful flowers
Even with the seemingly large display at
the markets and at florists establishments
1t is difficult to supply the demand. especial
Iy for roses and carnations. New York.
Philadelphia and other large cities draw
heavily on Washington for flowers, and
our growers have a reputation that Is ma
t1onal. One grower said that his average
daily sales for carnations alone would go
beyond Geo dozen a day, an average price
Of 40 cents. dozen bringing in $240 daily.
But this same flower raiser said that dur
ing cold weather he uses more than eight
tons of coal a day to heat his hot houses,
to say nothing of paying a large force Of
experienced florists and laborers. The gen
To-
that out Of over $1,000 carnation plants he
only succeeded in finding three that he was
satisfied to raise from, yet each Of these
plants had to be carefully watched and
attended to from the day the seeds were
planted until the final critical test was
passed on the bloom as to it's form, size,
color. etc.
So it would appear that no matter
whether the sweet carnation is bought to
adorn the lapel of the coat of a states
man, Johnny" or business man: or To
be shyly tucked In the bosom of some pref
ty girl; or to adorn and cheer the dinner
table, the price paid Is not dear when the
amount of work and care in raising it is
taken into consideration. 1t would be a
mean dog, according to the raiser of flow
ers, who would pay . cents for bunch of
garlic or onions, and protest against pay
ing 20 cents for half dozen home-b beau
tifying carnations. But human nature is
human nature, but sometimes the man
who wears q carnation eats three-cent
lunches.
Pay Large Share.
Perhaps no city in America has more
lovers of flowers than Washington, and our
people contribute very large sum in MAX
ing up the estimated amount Of S13.OoOOw
annually expended for cut flowers in the
United States. OF this immense sum about
$6,O0o,OO is paid for roses, $4,000 900 for
carnations. $75OO00 for violets, $500 600 for
chrysanthemums. and the remainder for
miscellaneous blooms. These figures do not
include potted plants. of which there arc
annually sold more than 100. CO., 600, at an
average price of 10 cents each. This coun-
try is now acknowledged to have the best
equipped and most perfectly systematiZed
greenhouses in the world. 1t leads the
world in growing roses and rare plants in
winter and many are shipped to Paris
Berlin anG London for wedding gifts and
purposes of social congratulation. The
method of packing and forestallng acct
dent in shipment is perfect that the
flowers reach their destination as fresh and
fragrant as if only day or two on the