83 



I said I would take one hundred of each, and then asked 

 to see the carnations. 



" I am sorry, ma'am, I can't let you have many carna- 

 tions. I've sold about all I can spare. I require about 

 ten thousand for my own use, and what few over that I 

 have I must keep for my retail trade. Why do you not go to 

 Mr. Felix ? I heard him say he had fifteen thousand this 

 year. He would sellyou some, without doubt." 



After spending an hour in looking over the bewildering 

 multitude of plants on the place, I ordered the plants sent to 

 me in ten days with the bill, and went home. What struck 

 me as remarkable in this place was the immense number of 

 plants gathered together in one establishment. Ten thou- 

 sand carnations and none to spare ! I wonder if I shall ever 

 conduct business on such a scale ? 



The next day I went up our own railroad about twenty 

 miles to see the heath and epacris man. This place was 

 quite small. The man devoted his entire attention to this 

 class of plants, and had a great reputation as a heath man. 

 His houses were all like Mr. Clock well's, long and half 

 sunk in the ground. All the plants were in fine condition, 

 short, bushy, and of a rich green color. A portion were in 

 flower. I had never seen a more remarkable sight. There 

 were five thousand in bloom, he informed me. I found the 

 pirice was much higher than for roses, but was told that 

 these plants were two years old and would last in good order 

 for five years to come. I bought one hundred heaths and 



