The Monticellonian., 1916-05-25
A LIVING IN VlOLETS
By L. Nj. BENNINGTON.

Two thousand dollars was the amount netted two young women last year who raised violets for the New York market The girls started in four years ago with a capital of less than $50 and about as little experience as girls who have lived in the country all their lives could have about any thing growing.
 Their first investment was 12 un- glazed hotbed sashes, 3 by 6 feet, at 70 cents sash. They glazed them themselves at a cost of s19.
 They started their experiment in the fall and devoted their evenings to studying up varieties They de- termined to choose the Marie Louise, as it was of the double varieties most popular in the New York market, and beside the Lady Hume Campbell. the only double variety suited for com mereial growing
 Early in March they invested $10 in cuttings of the Marie Louise and be- gan work in earnest
 Following the advice of a success ful grower of violets they potted these cuttings in Finch pots in mixture of one well-rotted manure to three parts garden soil. Besides mixing thoroughly, the soil was sifted to free it from Jumps. The pots were then set in frame in the garden and covered with four of the sashes. There were about thousand pots in all, but un- fortunately the cuttings were very poor
 While waiting for the cuttings to root they built the frame into which they were to be permanently set. This frame was only rough box, 6 feet wide by 36 long 12 inches deep in the back and half as much in front.
 The frame was placed in fertile spot in the garden. Over the surface of the soil they spread well.rotted stable manure to the depth of 8 or inches. It required all of their spare time for a month to get the soil to their satisfaction. About the mid dle of April they selected the largest cuttings for planting first, leaving the PiaAto IOi tAC IdSl- them carefully out of the pots. they set them in the frame inches apart in 6-inch rows. They soon discovered that they had only room for about one half the cuttings.
 The young women built another frame and set the last of their young plants.
 The first summer there was the red spider to fight against. July and Au- gust found them very busy swinging the plants. It was difficult task, as the stream must be kept down low enough to strike the leaves under heath and turn them completely over.
 About the middle of September the plants began to bloom, and although they kept the blossoms closely picked they did not attempt to sell them until the first week in October. They all lowed the florist in their home town to have all their blossoms at the rate of 40 cents a hundred in October and 55 cents hundred in November.
 In October they built their first greenhouse. It was 60 by 20 feet. and helping with the work they managed to reduce the cost of the first estimate of $50 to s65.
 Early in November the plants were lifted from the frame and set in beds in this greenhouse, and so well was the work done that none of the plants stopped blooming. At Christmas nearly 4,000 blossoms were picked and were sold for ninety cents hundred
 During May the young women be- gan preparations for their second sea son by putting in second thousand young plants. To save the trouble and