December 14, 1905. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



229 



Latest Violet House of J. Yonder Linden, 35x200, One of tfie Largest at Rhinebeck, N. Y. 



the margin of profit smaller than it was 

 last year. Already many growers are 

 turning their attention to stock of some 

 other flower for next year, and others 

 even are wondering how they can keep 

 on at all. There will be many places to 

 rent next season, for a large part of 

 those engaged in the business put up 

 their houses on borrowed money and fore- 

 closure is staring quite a number in the 

 face. This may account to some of the 

 commission dealers for the very great 

 unrest which is apparent in the violet 

 center. 



A Typical Establishment. 



George Saltford was the first grower 

 to make a success of the violet in the 

 section now so largely devoted to its cul- 

 ture. He began to grow violets in 1884, 

 and his son is still in the business at 

 Khinebeck. One by one the plants have 

 increased until the total is more than 

 four score. As an example of the more 

 successful ones the establishment of J, 

 Vender Linden will serve. 



Mr. Vender Linden started in the busi- 

 ness in 1901 with two houses, each 12x 

 150. In 1903 he built another house, 

 24x150, with side walls five and one- 

 half feet high and glass in the south 

 side, so constructed that it will make a 

 very good carnation house. In this house 

 the beds are eight feet wide, and he has 

 a trolley arrangement running the full 

 length of the house, so that it is not 

 necessary for the picker to get off the 

 picking board until he completes his 

 task. In the spring of this year Mr. 

 Vender Linden built the house shown in 

 the accompanying interior view. It is 

 35x200, and the largest house in the 

 violet region. It holds 14,000 violet 

 plants. 



Construction and Heating. 



As may be seen in the picture, the iron 

 posts carry eight flow pipes, all being at 



the same height upon adjustable sup- 

 ports. These flow pipes are ten feet 

 from the ground and are fed by one 5- 

 inch main from which four 4-inch flows 

 are taken and these in turn each supply 

 two 4-inch flows the full length of the 

 house. On each side wall there are four 

 4-inch returns, which gives a return for 

 every flow. One line of pipe on each 

 wall is placed close to the plate, to pre- 

 vent ice from forming on the glass. The 

 total radiation consists of 4,000 feet of 

 4-inch pipe, which will be enough for 

 carnations or roses, for which the house 

 can be used by simply putting in 

 benches; the piping will not have to be 

 changed. 



The house is heated by a No. 5 Kroes- 

 chell hot water boiler which, with the 

 above arrangement of pipes, gives an 

 absolutely even temperature in all parts 

 of the house. The boiler is forty-two 

 inches wide, ten feet long and thirty- 

 six inches high above the ash pit. The 

 foundation is fourteen inches high, so 

 that the total height of the boiler is 

 only fifty inches. It has a capacity for 

 maintaining a temperature of 70 degrees 

 .in greenhouses of 12,000 square feet of 

 exposure when it is zero outside. 



There are continuous ventilators on 

 both sides of the ridge of this large 

 violet house. On each side there is prac- 

 tically one ventilator 3x200 feet. Each 

 ventilator weighs over half a ton, but 

 it is raised from one end without diffi- 

 culty by a Wolf apparatus, made by A. 

 Q. Wolf & Bro., Dayton, O. The glass 

 ventilators in the sides of the house 

 are in sections of fifty feet and are oper- 

 ated with the Lord & Burnham worm 

 gear machine. In the growing season, 

 when top and side ventilators are opened 

 full, the air circulation is so perfect 

 as to keep the temperature about even 

 with the shade temperature outdoors. 



j The square building at the left in the 

 smaller picture is Mr. Vender Linden's 

 ' boiler and work room on the lower floor, 

 ! thg second story arranged for office and 

 I sleeping rooms. In each house there is a 

 j thermostat connecting with a bell in the 

 ' night fireman's room, to give warning 

 I should a house become dangerously cold 

 or warm. In addition there are regis- 

 tering thermometers in the houses to tell 

 just what has happened each night. 



A propagating house 20x75 feet is now 

 being built along the north side of the 

 large house, the plates to be six feet 

 from the ground. This house is to be 

 used for young violet stock, it being Mr. 

 Vender Linden's intention to grow 200,- 

 000 for next summer. The varieties are 

 Marie Louise, Farquhar and Swanley 

 White. 



The Proprietor. 



All of Mr. Vender Linden's houses 

 were built without the help of carpenter 

 or steamfitter. He is only 32 years of 

 age, but had twelve years' experience in 

 mechanics before starting at violet 

 growing. He began work at the machin- 

 ists ' trade when he was only 15 years 

 eld and is a skilled tool maker. At pres- 

 ent he is growing 30,000 violet plants 

 and is one of the largest as well as one 

 of the most progressive and liberal mind- 

 ed growers of the district. 



Cultural Methods. 



Asked to outline his cultural methods 

 Mr. Vender Linden said : "In the fall, 

 about October 1, we plow our sod and 

 when possible stack it, using well rotted 

 manure. By spring, when we take out 

 all the eld soil in the beds, the compost 

 is well in shape, ready to put in the 

 houses for new planting, 



' ' I commence early in March to make 

 cuttings, which are only taken from the 

 spring growth of runners, choosing those 



