The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1916-05-30
A LIVING I'M Vi0LETS
By L. M. 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 II I'M
glazed hotbed sashes, 3 by 6 feet, at
20 cents a sash. They glazed them
themselves at cost of $19.
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
mercial growing.
Early in March they invested SO in
cuttings of the Marie Louise and be-
gan work in earnest.
Following the advice of a success
full grower of violets they potted these
cuttings in Pinch pots in a 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 i'll the garden and covered
with four of the sashes. There were
about thousand pots in all, but I'M
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 a rough box, 6 feet
wide by 36 long, II 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
or 4 inches. 1t required all of their
spare time for a month to get the soil
to their satisfaction. About the mid
die of April they selected the largest
cuttings for planting first, leaving the
small plants for the last. Knocking
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 20 fight against. July and Au-
gust found them very busy Swinging
the plants. 1t was a difficult task, as
the stream must be kept down low
enough to strike the leaves under
meath 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 al
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 a hundred in November
In October they built their first
greenhouse. 1t was so 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 1000 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 a second thousand
young plants To save the trouble and