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grown to supply the demand for choice roses, carnations, lilies, chrysan- 

 themums, sweet-peas, violets, and other cut flowers. 



The business of raising cut flowers for the market in this county is 

 enormous, and millions of dollars are invested in it. It is nearly fifteen 

 years since choice long-stemmed flowers, roses, carnations, and large- 

 sized chrysanthemums, came into demand in San Francisco. The grow- 

 ers now in business in San Mateo and vicinity were the first to see the 

 opening for money-making, and still retain the lead in quality of product. 

 One may go now into any of these large establishments and be convinced 

 in a short time of the superior size and beauty of the flowers grown, and 

 incidentally note the many prizes given by floral societies of different cities, 

 to be seen in the offices of these establishments, having been won in 

 competition with similar establishments in the city and elsewhere. 



Among the large establishments in San Mateo is one place of 120,000 

 square feet of glass, covering about three acres of ground. (Five thousand 

 feet will give a house 150 feet long by 25 feet wide.) This firm raises 

 only the very choicest of roses, carnations, chrysanthemums, lilies, and 

 orchids. The foreman is always glad to show visitors around. Two large 

 boilers heated with oil supply the warmth in the dark days of winter. 

 Flowers are sold at wholesale, no retailing being done on the place. 



Another large place of similar dimensions in the same locality grows 

 roses, carnations, and lilies of the valley, and the choicest of these are 

 shipped every day to all parts of the country. Boilers are used here to 

 supply the heat and also to pump water for the plant. Twelve thousand 

 gallons of oil arrive weekly at the nursery for use as fuel by this and neigh- 

 boring establishments. 



Ferns and miscellaneous cut flowers and plants are grown in the 

 heart of San Mateo, one establishment having a range of about 10,000 

 square feet of glass. One house specializes in palms and carnations, with 

 a capacity of about 25,000 square feet of glass. Another devotes some 

 30,000 square feet of glass wholly to carnations. Some 75,000 young 

 plants leave every spring to be shipped to the North, South, and East. 

 This grower is about the only large shipper of this kind of stock on the 

 Coast. 



Another nurseryman is supplying the country round with trees, shrubs, 

 etc., from some 250 acres in nursery stock in Millbrae. A nursery in the 

 Visitacion Valley is the largest grower of maidenhair fern, and does a great 

 shipping business to interior cities. Roses and carnations are also grown 

 extensively here, their place covering about 110,000 square feet of glass. 



In the northerly part of the county are the violet-growers. Hundreds 

 of acres are devoted to these flowers. This is the cooler part of the county, 

 and well adapted for the violet, which likes cool and foggy weather. 



In the northern part of the county a place of about 100,000 square feet 

 of glass is given to carnations, roses, lilies of the valley, and other stock. 



Other flower-growers in the vicinity are too numerous to mention. 

 Millions of dollars are invested in this business, and a very good profit 

 derived from the sale of the flowers goes to the successful grower. It is 

 difficult to say how much profit is In this kind of business, as it changes 

 every year; but there Is always enough made to pay running expenses, 

 which, by the way, are very heavy, especially in the winter, besides what 

 goes to swell the bank account from year to year and to furnish a comfort- 

 able living. 



After a visit to the nurseries It is interesting to visit also some of our 

 wealthy private places which congregate in San Mateo and Menio Park. 

 It is really hard to find another city located like San Mateo where wealthy 

 San Franciscans have settled down amongst the foothills and under the 

 shade of the beautiful oak trees. These people know that there is not a 

 prettier spot In the United States, and are continually striving to make 

 it still lovelier, one trying to do a little better than the other. All have the 

 best gardeners money can employ, and they get the best help, with green- 

 houses stocked with the choicest ferns, palms, and every other plant 

 imaginable. Frames with glass coverings are used to start and raise the 



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