CHAPTER X 

 FLOWERS 



109. Floriculture. The cultivation of flowers for orna- 

 ment and of ornamental plants is called floriculture. The 

 use of plants for this purpose has brought into cultivation a 

 very large number of species ; in fact, floriculture has drawn 

 upon the whole of the immense group of flowering plants 

 ( Angiosperms) , and has selected for its work whatever is 

 beautiful or curious. It is evident that it will be impossible 

 to give an account of even the most common flowers and 

 ornamental plants in cultivation, but some general idea can 

 be given of the work of floriculture. Plants are in more 

 general cultivation for their flowers than for any other pur- 

 pose. The public parks are full of them, almost every yard 

 has its flower bed, and in the absence of yards " window- 

 gardens " are established. The cultivation of such plants, 

 therefore, touches the experience of more people than any 

 other kind of cultivation; besides, it is just as possible in 

 cities as in the country. 



Floriculture is not merely the cultivation of ornamental 

 plants by people in general, but it has also developed into 

 an extensive business, conducted by " florists," and the 

 work is done chiefly in greenhouses. The demand for flowers, 

 and especially " cut flowers," has been increasing at such a 

 rate that special equipment for forcing flowers and distribut- 

 ing them has been developed. Naturally the largest estab- 

 lishments are near the large cities, where the demand is 

 greatest, and the cities which are now leading in this busi- 

 ness are New York, Chicago, Boston, and Philadelphia. 

 The greatest amount of greenhouse space used for floricul- 



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