418 



CURRANT 



able if scalded for a few minutes in boiling water, and 

 flien transferred to fresh water for cooking. It is much 

 esteemed by those who have learned to use it, and is 

 credited with medicinal qualities of value in bowel and 

 throat affections. The plants are exempt from attacks 

 of the Currant worm. Fred W. Card. 



C0SCUTA (origin of name obscure) ConioUuld,cea 

 Dodder. A genus of degenerate parasitic twiners 

 bearing rlii-tn-. ..f cninll fls. They are leafless annuals 

 with VI r\ '- ■ 1 ■ "A cir red stems -nhirh 1 e ome 

 attached 1- : .t hy means of root like i keis 



Thesei-cU; ::, _ : uhI and germmate m tl c jriif. 



As soon ;i.-5 iln: .».>uii„ -huMt finds an accei table 1 st the 

 root dies and the phint becomes parisitic Fiilin^ to 

 find a host, the plant dies. Dodders are common in 1 w 

 weedy places. Some species are also serious pests is 

 the Clover Dodder and Flax Dodder One of the com 

 mon species (C Gronovii, Willd.), of low grounds is 

 shown in Fig. 617. 



CUT -FLOWERS 



made to American forcing roses even to the present day, 

 was the introduction of the Catherine Mermet. This 

 beautiful variety, which sprang into great popularity at 

 once with the flower-buying public, was found very profit- 

 able by the growers, who, by careful cultivation and the 

 incentive of the high prices realized for choice flowers. 



of 



CCSTAKD APPLE. 



f ( 



mented \<\ ili.> -:ili- nf ( ut il.iw .rs. Millions of dollars 

 are invest. ■! in ilir ,ulti\ atiMU and sale of Cut-flowers in 

 the neighb.,rhu...l ..f tl„. huu'.- .uii.s of the United States. 

 The growth and evolution of the business has ^. . n \ . r\ 

 rapid in the past 25 years. From 1860 to 1-7 ' 

 mellia was the most valued of all Cut -flown - 

 personal adornment or bouquets, as much a- 1 , -_ ..i.i 

 even $3 having been obtained for a single Hum i ui ihi. 

 holiday season. At the present time they are almost 

 forgotten, and are only to be found in private collections 

 and in the south, where the plants will live out during 

 the winter season. The principal flowers forced at that 

 time, in addition to the camellia, were daphne, bou- 

 vardia, abutilon, nasturtium, callas, sweet alyssum, 

 poinsettia, carnations and a few LaMarque, Bon Silene 

 and Safrano jroses. The taste was for set designs. All 

 flowers were picked with short stems, im- hmhc ai all, mily 

 the open portions of cluster flowers li. im.- lal.i n, ami ilie 

 buds left to open. These small pieia^ «,r. l...und«ith 

 wire to wooden sticks for basket \v<.ik "i- t.. I.im.,iii .-.h n 

 straws for making into bouquets. The i.eiinlai- taili de- 

 sign was called a pyramid. It consisted "t ,1 nuinlier .,f 

 bouquets each with one camellia in ilie .eni. r and a 

 single row of smaller flowers aruiiml, lia.i,. d \\y "iili 

 lycopodium green. The smaller bun.im i^ u, i.. then 

 arranged in a wire frame, the sticks on which they were 

 made serving to hold them in the desired position. The 

 top of the pyramid was a bouquet with a calla lily in 

 the center. These table pieces frequently cost from 

 $35 to $75, and sometimes $100 was asked tor a particu- 

 larly fine design. The small bouquets were distributed 

 to the guests at the close of the entertainment 

 Only small quantities 



thist 



more attention, an.i i ' ; 

 grew in favor an ! 

 saw in the cannlli 

 roses than the sina II I > a- i 

 Hybrid Remontaiits. tJei 

 to force well and soon bee 

 from $1 to $2 a bud for 

 tiful yellow Mareebal Ni. 

 ers sold well, but it i. i- 

 profitable, and tli . ' 

 Jardins, an Everl I 

 vation, soon dr"\ ■ ,. ; i 

 sensation, and the uim.^i in 



■ se steadily 

 what they 

 for larger 



some of the 



vellow Tea Perle des 

 litic and of easy culti- 

 iiket. The next rose 

 addition that has been 



soon elevated the standard of i 



and attracted new capital to what had new become a 

 llirii ii _' iiiel Inerative business. While ... I'ane.n- in it- 

 seir I- 'i ■. Mrnietwill, however, pi. ! ■' i. :. ' _■.[■ 



r. 1 ■! e ■ parent of those n [..as 



n- ■ ■ .'K i.'rown, the Brid.- ; 1; i I, 



II, . ,, ,,. i. ;,„,! white roses of tu .he, . ilanjvari- 



.1 ! ; i ■ il I .nns were made'have been in- 



I J . ,. I .1 , , : I , , 1 ,ut, for the most part, they 



ha . j in.l expensive experiments. 



N,\t n. lie ..all. line M. riuet in importance is the 

 Anieri.-an Bi-auty iMme. Ferdinand Jamin),the finest of 

 all the forcing roses. The introduction of this variety 

 by the Fields Brothers, of Washington, produced a great 

 stir in rose circles. Fine as it appeared at first, how- 

 ever, its after development surprised even the most san- 

 guine, and to-day it stands unrivaled as the most profit- 

 able and at the same time the most popular with the 

 wealthy classes of fiower-buyers. 



While the development of the rose was taking place, 

 the carnation, ever popular, was receiving the attention 

 of the breeder, and new varieties showing great im- 

 provement in form, color and productiveness were in- 

 troduced annually. It was soon found that roses and 

 carnations did not give best results h1i..ii u'n.wn together 

 in the same house. They re.inir.d .liiler.ni treatment. 

 Roses thrive better in aJivariinf aini..-|de a .■ than car- 

 nations. Different forms of gi idi.iu^.- stru.'tures were 



also found necessary. The original means of beating was 

 liy brick furnaces and flues. Hot water and steam gen- 

 I rated in iron boilers and distributed through pipes, 

 although more expensive to install, were found much 

 more efficient, and withal the most economical plan. 



In the early growth of the business the grower was 

 also the retailer. The rapidly increasing demand, how- 

 ever, ushered in the middle man or retail florist, who re- 

 lieved the grower of his stock as soon as it was ready 



