FLOWERS 141 



Many florists make money by keeping constantly on hand 

 ferns, palms, and other plants like rubber trees, which they 

 rent out for social functions, weddings, and other occasions. 

 Most florists in the larger cities have also quite a thriving 

 business in tree planting, which is everywhere on the in- 

 crease. A highly specialized department of horticulture 

 is that of raising young trees and plants to sell for improv- 

 ing grounds, planting orchards, or similar uses. The nurs- 

 ery business bears much the same relation to the commercial 

 florist or orchardist as seed growing does to the market 

 gardener. 



Certain communities, through favorable soil or climate, 

 are best adapted to the production of nursery stock. Conse- 

 quently, one finds this industry most highly developed in 

 scattered localities. It is true that people with small 

 capital should not tackle a business so technical as this. 



The business of bulb production is another highly spe- 

 cialized department. In certain sections of Holland large 

 areas of the rich lowlands are given over to bulbs of various 

 kinds of lilies, nearly all of which are propagated in that 

 manner. To attain perfection, at least in the North, most 

 bulbs require deep, rich, warm, and highly manured soils ; and 

 assiduous attention at every stage. In many plant spe- 

 cialties, the gardeners of Europe still far surpass our own, 

 because conditions there have forced them to make use of 

 every available means to increase production. The im- 

 mense price that European gardeners have to pay for land 

 has been a most potent factor in forcing them to seek out 

 and apply the most ingenious forcing methods. The time is 

 upon us here in America also when we must find out the 

 highest use of land and apply it to that use. 



As the aesthetic qualities of our people become more 



