The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-10-16
1000 ACRES OF FLOWER GARDEN
Something About the Town Which
Ships Beans to Boston.

Ships Beans to Boston.
Writing from Weimar. Consul VIII.
liam L. Lowrie says that Erfurt. Q
thriving commercial city OF Southern
Prussia. with more than 100000 in.
shabitants. is known throughout Ger.
many as the flower city" 1t has
worldwide reputation for flower
and farm seeds and plants. the trade
in which the Consul portrays as fol.
lows:
THE declared exports OF these pro.
ducts to the United States in the last
ten years amounted to s56l,741, last
years shipments being worth $53,.
SIS.
The origin Of the industry dates
from the tenth century, and 1t was
developed by the monks of the Peters
monastery. The growth TO the pres.
ent large proportions is of much more
recent date. Since 1880 the business
of raising flowers and garden seeds
and plants in Erfurt has increased
rapidly. until IL is now five times as
large as it was quarter of century
ago. When the land failed TO pro.
duce good wine grapes the people
turned their attention to the seed in.
dustry as a mean of saving their
waning fortunes In former wears
the hills about Erfurt and Jena were
famous for their vineyards. The
wine was sold mostly at Weimar
about half way'of the distance be.
tween those two cities. giving this
place its original name of Vein.
markt, which was changed later &c
Weimar
The soil about Erfurt is especially
adapted TO the culture OF vegetables
and plants. 1t is deep rich and well
watered. The annual rainfall is
heavy, and the surrounding hills
afford good protection from the cool
winds which sometimes sweep down
from the Thuringerwald There are
los concerns engaged in the seed in.
dustry, also thirty-fiye seed exporters
and twenty-four florists. An idea OF
the extent of this business may be
gained from the area OF glass EN-.
ployed. The total Is 1875 square
r. eters (square meter equals 1O.764
'luare feet), OF which 30,S67 square
meters cover propagating houses. and
S2,S5S square meters are used over
specially fertlized beds. Nearly
5000 people are employed in various
capacities.
While there are no statistics
available in regard to the total an.
nual output of the Erfurt seed and
plant concerns. single firm produces
each year 10000 to $4,000 cyclamen.
100000 lilies of the valley. 10000
apple sprouts lin pots), 10000 pear
sprouts, 10000 plum. apricot. peach
and ounce sprouts. 10000 straw.
berry plants. 100000 short stemmed
and 10000 long stemmed roses.
About 1000 acres of land in the
city and the immediate vicinity are
devoted TO gardens. This land IL
owned by the Crown, the city and
private individuals. IL is leased 10
the various concerns at rentals de.
pending on the location and on the
productiveness of the soil Owing to
the rapid growth OF the city, which
rivals the percentage of Western
boom town In the United States. quite
an area OF the best garden land has
been plotted into city lots and is fast
being covered with fine villas and
houses.
The cultivation of the gilly flower
In Erfurt dates from 1910. 1t first
appeared in the window OF a citizen,
and from this one pot hundreds OF
thousands of these flowers have been
promulgated. The estimated annual
production is 100000 plants. To tha
same extent, or nearly so. is the cul.
tivation OF the calceolaria, verbena,
petunia, gloXinia, zinnla, pansy. car.
nation, balsam, phloE, hollyhock, pc.
largonium. fuchsia, azalia, etc, in
almost endless variety. IL is esti.
mated that the annual output Of
flower seeds is not much under
100000 marks (s23S,000).
Vegetable and farm seeds are cul.
tivated in large quantities and in
great variety. Among them are In.
cluded 101 kinds of peas. 16s OF
beans 600 bushels shipped this year
10 Boston 70 help make up the deficit
in its staple food, 269 varieties of
kitchen herbs. thirty-four OF onions
etc. sixty-hve OF grass for fodder
thirty Of clover. 800 species OF pota.
toes. There are 1912 varieties oi
vegetable seed cultivated in Eriurt
Washington Correspondence Mil
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