10 THE PRINCIPLES OF FLORICULTURE 



near large cities. The leading states in value of flowers 

 and plants were New York, with $5,110,221 ; Pennsyl- 

 vania, with $3,760,644 ; Illinois, $3,680,973 ; New Jersey, 

 with $2,839,319; and Massachusetts, with $2,432,000. 

 The total area of land under glass in 1909 was reported 

 as 114,655,276 square feet, of which 105,165,730 square 

 feet were in greenhouses, and 9,489,546 square feet were 

 covered by sashes and frames. 



STATISTICS FROM CANADA 



The floricultural statistics for the Dominion of Canada 

 are less complete than for the United States : 



Capital invested approximately . . . . . . . $1,500,000 



Square feet of glass 6,000,000 



Annual output 1,800,000 



Area covered 120 acres 



IMPROVEMENT IN FLOWER CROPS 



Among the factors which have done much to improve 

 the quality of florists' products are the following : plant- 

 breeding; the establishment of retail stores, wholesale 

 commission houses and cooperative flower markets ; the 

 tendency of flower-growers towards specialization; the 

 demand by the buying public for a better quality and for 

 new species or varieties; and the frequent floral exhibi- 

 tions which have been held in the larger cities and towns. 



9. Influence of plant-breeding. Beneficial effects of 

 the work of the plant-breeders began to be seen in the 

 early part of the decade from 1890 to 1900. Some work 

 had been done before this, but it was unsystematized and 

 there were few definite results. Many new varieties of 

 carnations and chrysanthemums began to appear on the 



