GREENHOUSE PLANTS. 481 



invest too heavily before we know " it is a good thing-," and in this 

 case I think we were safe in making haste slowly. 



To judge from appearances, the new. favorite is not apt to crowd 

 out the old single violet which has been grown here for many years 

 under the name of Victoria. In my opinion it can not be compared 

 to that one in either size, color or fragrance, but it may give a few 

 more flowers possibly, though, so far, I do not believe it has those 

 either; so for this climate I do not feel justified in recommending it 

 as a florist's flower likely to prove of great value. 



Chrysanthemuttis we have annually such large additions to, that I 

 •do not know if I ought to mention them at all, as it will be impossible 

 for me to do the subject justice; still, as being the most conspicuous 

 of last season's disseminations, I think I may say a few words in 

 favor of the Philadelphia.produced and disseminated by H. Graham, 

 of Philadelphia. This is a chrysanthemum that will undoubtedly 

 lake a place in the front rank for some time to come. It has all the 

 good qualities that go to make up a first-class chrysanthemum 

 for a florist's purpose, while the color is quite unique, being a sort 

 of straw color, very pale yellow, still lively and decided enough not 

 to look faded or washed, and it has remarkable keeping and last- 

 ing qualities. Being rather an early sort, it may be had in perfection 

 about the 20th of October, and it will last almost to the end of the 

 chrysanthemum season. 



Carnations. Of this now so universally esteemed and almost in- 

 dispensable florist's flower, I am not able to report any decided im- 

 provement, not having given any of last season's novelties any 

 extensive trial, and from what I do know, there is much lacking in 

 all of them. We are still waiting for the perfect carnation, though 

 it must be admitted that some improvement in certain respects has 

 been made. If we take the best varieties of fifteen years ago, such as 

 La Purity and Peter Henderson.to compare with, it will certainly take 

 a carnation specialist to be able to see the improvf^ments. I for my 

 part am not able to see much. Carnations have the last two years 

 become a rather uncertain and precarious crop for a grower to de- 

 pend upon, on account of the new disease imported from Europe, 

 known by the name of "rust." This terribly destructive fungous pest, 

 for which there does not seem to be any very effective preventative 

 or remedy, has caused great losses the last two years, losses that 

 right here in this neighborhood may be counted by several thous- 

 ands of dollars. 



One feature of the flower growing here is the successful produc- 

 tion of first-classviolets in quantity to pay for giving them first-class 

 houses and the best attention. I remember only a few years ago 

 how there was no one in the trade here who thought it wohM pay to 

 grow violets in houses all winter; only five years ago I had to go as 

 far as Boston for my supply of violets, very few first-class violets 

 being produced in the West, while today, I think, it may be placed 

 among the best paying crops the grower has to depend upon. 

 Enough is now produced right here to meet all detnands. 



I cannot abstain from mentioning the most prominent feature in 

 the florist's business — in this city especially it is more marked and 



