The J^lotper^ Trade of JVe7f Toi^k. 331 



The Flower Trade of New York. 



Itn Progress — Tlif I'roilticvrs — Rulboits flniits nnil t/ieir Culture — Sunnner Flott'ers, etc. 



DURING the past ten or fifteen years the flower trade of the city of New York 

 has grown up to something marvellous in quantity, and but very few are aware 

 of its present extent and importance. The Evening Post, in devoting considerable 

 space editorially, recently, to a notice of the trade, says : " Fifteen years ago there 

 was hardly a flower store on Broadway, and the dandy of the period, when in quest 

 of his button-hole bouquet, had to depend upon the wandering flower-girl, or make a 

 visit to the distant greenhouses to supply his wants. To-day all of this is changed ; 

 fifty stores, at least, devoted to the sale of rare and fragrant flowers, are to be found 

 on Broadway alone, and their trade in this evanescent stock is said to amount to 

 more than one million of dollars annually. 



To-day flowers in vast profusion decorate the drawing-rooms of the wealthy, and, 

 in less quantity perhaps, the homes of the poor. The bridal festival calls for its 

 wealth of floral ofi"eriugs, and the cofiin and the tomb vie with it in the richness and 

 prodigality of their gorgeous adornments. At Christmas, New Years and Easter the 

 church altars are loaded with floral tributes also, and the lavish supply shown on 

 such as well as all other occasions excites the curiosity as to the source whence they 

 come. We have some large greenhouses, so-called, in the neighborhood of New 

 York, and some statistics and information in regard to their working will be found 

 interesting as well as instructive. 



The Producers. 



*' The production of flowers by our nurserymen is simply a matter of business, and 

 but little art is required in the pursuit. The art of flower-raising, of which we often 

 hear, is more the result of the gardener's genins than inherent to his calling. It is 

 the design of the parterre, or flower garden, in the massing and arranging of plants 

 according to their relations of color, which exemplifies art, rather than the produc- 

 tion. In the raising of flowers, beauty of form, size and variety of color are sought 

 after, and it is the gardener's aim to secure these features in his plants. 



Probably the greatest variety of plants has been raisetl from seed ; and this 

 property of reproducing almost countless varieties of flowers from the seeds of one 

 plant is possessed by almost every flowering shrub. That is to say, the flowers may 

 be of the same variety, but they will be diflferently marked. This is particularly 

 the case with the gladiolus. Twenty years ago there were only six or seven varieties 

 of the gladiolus known. Now there are over one thousand distinct varieties, and all 

 have been raised from six or seven original flowers, and the number is increased 

 every season. The pure white gladiolus originally came from the Cape of Good 

 Hope ; but it was a small flower, and at its introduction, ten years ago, was not 

 much thought of; by careful cultivation, however, it has become one of the choicest 

 flowers of the field and garden. 



C X. A.llen's Gardens. 



One of the rarest sights of the summer season, in a floral way, is C. L. Allen's 

 gladiolus preserves. This nursery is on the line of the Central Railroad of Long 

 Island, about fourt3en miles from Hunter's Point, and the route of the road is 

 through the center of a fifteen acre field devoted to the culture of this beautiful 

 flowering bulb. 



