. A". , *:. -t- ■ .«•<.; 



JUNB 15. 1906. 



The Weekly Rorists' Review. 



183 



VIOLET GROWING. 



BY B. T. GALLOWAY. 



How to Start the Business. 



The question of the location of a vio- 

 let establishment is governed by so many 

 local conditions that it is dificult to offer 

 any specific suggestions in regard to this 

 matter. Other things being equal, it is 

 always desirable, of course, to be within 

 easy reach of the local market. Tele- 

 phone and trolley connections are highly 

 important, for the reason that it is fre- 

 quently necessary during the busy season 

 to make extra pickings and extra ship- 

 ments, which can only be done where all 

 modem conveniences are available. Any- 

 where within fifteen to twenty miles of 

 a town, there may be found good loca- 

 tions for such work. Many of the largest 

 violet establishments are located right 

 in the towns, and as a matter of fact 

 four-fifths of all the violets sold in this 

 country today are probably grown on 

 what may be called city lots. 



Land Required. 



One-half to three-quarters of an acre 

 will suffice for an establishment, capable 

 of growing anywhere from 15,000 to 20,- 

 000 plants. This is about all one man 

 can handle with such help as would be 

 required from time to time, especially in 

 the picking season. In fact, a quarter 

 of an acre of ground properly handled 

 will afford a good business. In such 

 cases, however, the soil used will neces- 

 sarily have to be purchased. Where suf- 

 ficient ground can be obtained without 

 too much expense to afford means of 

 handling one's own soil, it is always an 

 advantage. If the violet is to be grown 

 in connection with other crops it is never 

 desirable to mix the plants in the house 

 with others. Difficulties will be encoun- 

 tered in the matter of fumigation and 

 temperatures which will prevent the pro- 

 tluction of the best stock. 



The Use of Frames. 



The violet may be grown in either 

 houses or frames. Frames are now prac- 

 tically abandoned in all sections except 

 the southern portions of the country, 

 where the winters are mild. Even there 

 it undoubtedly would be much better to 

 grow the violets in houses, as they are 

 much more easily controlled and the 

 wl"*^ are at all times easily accessible. 

 \\hen violets are grown in frames it 

 often happens during the winter that sev- 

 eral days must elapse before the frames 

 ^an be opened. This, of course, is a 

 senous drawback where one has business 

 interests in the city or town which must 

 leteive attention. It may happen at just 

 such periods that extra demands will 

 'ome for flowers, and if these cannot be 

 '."ct the trade will be lost or seriously in- 

 jured. ^ 



Aside from these facts, which are vital, 

 •'le those concerned with the comfort of 

 jfie grower himself, who must necessarily 

 •Jc exposed to all sorts of weather if the 

 crop IS grown in frames. Suitable houses 

 lv\°^ j,^? cheaply constructed and easi- 

 '^ Handled that only under very special 

 circumstances should frames be used. 



Number of Plants for Start 



For the florist who already hsia a gen- 

 eral business and who has a fair general 

 trade with plants and flowers, the ques- 

 tion of a start in violet culture must be 

 considered from a number of standpoints. 

 If the desire is simply to use the violet 

 as an additional crop, probably 2,000 

 plants would be a fair number to begin 

 with. Any number less than this would 

 not give sufficient flowers to enable the 

 grower to make the best trade arrange- 

 ments, either if he handles them himself 

 or sells them to some one else. In other 

 words, like all other crops it is important 

 to be able to have a constant supply. If 

 the supply is spasmodic, good prices can 

 not be secured, as the grower must neces- 

 sarily take what the market offers. If 

 the grower can develop a trade that will 

 take about aU that he can grow from 

 2,000 plants, he will find that such trade 

 is more or less constant and he will find, 

 furthermore, that, being always able to 

 supply good stock at the proper time, he 

 can get better prices. 



For one who is desirous of starting in 

 the business without any other crops, 

 5,000 plants would be better to begin 

 with. From 5,000 to 6,000 plants will 

 occupy pretty fully the time of one man. 



ners put in earlier. It is better to pay 

 $10 per thousand for good sand-rooted 

 runners than $5 for indifferent divided 

 crowns. 



The stock secured, it may be either 

 potted off into 2-inch pots and placed in 

 cold frames, where plenty of air and 

 water can be given, or in flats. Our 

 preference has always been for flats, for 

 the reason that the plants do not seem 

 to dry out so readily, and make a better 

 root growth. We use flats flfteen inches 

 wide, two feet long and two and one-half 

 inches deep, and put about seventy-five 

 to 100 plants to the flat. Plants will 

 stand in these flats until planting time, 

 the middle or last of April. The young 

 stock will have to be watched carefully, 

 and in addition to keeping them well 

 watered, care should be exercised in the 

 matter of syringing for the purpose of 

 keeping off red spider. A thorough 

 syringmg once a day will prevent this 

 pest, taking care to do this work always 

 early in the morning, so that the plants 

 will dry off before night. 



(To be Continued.) 



ECHEVERIAS. 



I intend growing some echeverias for 

 next spring and would like to know the 

 best way to giet a start. Can they be 

 propagated and if so would it be best 

 to get plants now and propagate in fallf 

 Which are the best kinds to growt 



Wv A. S. 



With the exception of the variety E. 

 secunda glauca the echeverias are not so 

 generally grown as they were ten years 

 ago, but for the florist the above kind is 

 indispensable for carpet bedding. The 

 taller growing sorts are increased by cut- 

 ings. MetalUca makes a fine plant for 



Violet Cuttings, Properly Rooted. 



(Ready for setting In flats or 2-inch pots.) 



and properly handled should yield fair 

 returns. 



The location decided upon, a decision 

 made as to the kind of business one in- 

 tends to develop, and the number of 

 plants one intends to grow, the first es- 

 sential, of course, is the securing of 

 stock. 



How to Secure Stock. 



It is highly important that the grower 

 begin with good stock. Every year from 

 February to the middle of summer the 

 advertisers in the Eeview offer violet 

 stock for sale. Rooted runners are of- 

 fered all the way from $5 to $10 per 

 thousand. Our preference has always 

 been for good, strong, sand-rooted run- 

 ners, which should be ready to take 

 from the bench by the middle of March. 

 In many cases the growers wait until aft- 

 er the main Easter picking is over and 

 then advertise stock for sale. This stock 

 is for the most part divided crowns, 

 which are not as good as sand-rooted run- 



the conservatory or the center of a car- 

 pet bed and retusa is a pretty flowering 

 plant for early winter. They should be 

 lifted before severe frost. After flow- 

 ering the tops should be cut off and the 

 old plants kept in a warm, dry place, 

 when small growths will start from the 

 stems. These, when large enough, can 

 be removed and put into flats of dry 

 sand and when they have made a few 

 roots potted into 2-inch or 2 V^ -inch pots. 

 The low growing, stemless species, 

 such as secunda glauca, Californica, Pea- 

 cockii, rosea and others, if planted out 

 make a number of shoots, little minia- 

 ture plants, often called hen and chick- 

 ens, and in lifting in the fall these are 

 removed and planted in shallow flats of 

 sandy soil and placed in some cool, dry 

 house. Very little if any water is need- 

 ed during winter and avoid any drip on 

 the plants. 



In lifting them in October it is well 

 to sort them into different sizes, placing 



