1871 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
61 
How Plants and Flowers are Grown. 
BY PETER HENDERSON. 
Thousands of the readers of the Agriculturist 
lire so remote from our great cities and towns, 
that “ Flower manufacturing,” as it may be 
termed, is something by them unseen and even 
unheard of. To such the accompanying 
sketches, taken on the fifteenth of December 
grees lower, 
the cuttings 
Fig. i>.— POINSETT1A PULCHERRIAIA. 
last, from our establishment in Jersey City, 
N. J., may be interesting as -well as instructive. 
Figure 1 represents an inside section of a 
Fia. 
-DOUBLE PRIMROSES. 
propagating house. This has a propagating 
bench or table on each side, having a ledge to 
it, and is covered with about three inches of 
clean sand. The engraving shows the cuttings 
as they are inserted in rows in the sand. The 
space shown is about 9 square feet, in which are 
set about 1,000 Verbena cuttings. These are 
taken in (he green state from the old plants, cut 
into lengths of 
about 2 inches, 
and inserted about 
half their length 
in the sand. They 
are shaded when 
the sun is hot, 
and freely watered 
every day until 
they lake root, 
which will be in 
about 12 days from 
the time they are 
planted in the 
sand. The proper 
temperature for 
the sand is GO de¬ 
grees, and that of 
the atmosphere of 
the greenhouse 
should be 10 de- 
Tlie sand on the bench in winch 
are placed is raised to a higher 
temperature than the air of the greenhouse, 
either by a smoke-flue passing under the bench, 
or by pipes con¬ 
taining hot water. 
As soon as the 
cuttings are rooted 
they are planted 
in pots 2 inches in 
diameter by 2 in 
depth, and again 
freely watered by 
a fine rose water¬ 
ing-pot. 
Figure 2 shows 
an inside section of 
a greenhouse, with 
the plants in this 
the second stage 
of growth. These 
operations are 
continued during 
the season, from ^ 
November to May. 
In May the plants are ready to be set out in 
the open ground. Some conception of the vast 
numbers grown of this plant—the Verbena— 
may be formed 
when we shy that 
300,000 were sent 
out from this 
establishment dur¬ 
ing the months of 
March, April, and 
May of last year; 
and when it is 
known that there 
are many hun¬ 
dreds, great and 
small, of Florists’ 
Establishments in 
the suburbs of 
New York, all 
growing more or 
less of this popular 
summer flowering 
plant, it may be 
easily estimated 
that many millions 
are planted annually. We can well note the in¬ 
crease of taste in the culture of flowers from 
this single plant alone. Twenty years ago, 
when we grew 5,000 Verbenas one year, we 
thought we would overstock the market; but 
we did not, and the vast increase that has been 
steadily made lends to no such result. And it 
must not be forgotten that this is only one species 
-VERBENAS IN POTS 
of flower, among many hundreds grown. Next 
in numbers to the Verbena comes the Hose; of 
these perhaps half the number is sold, but as 
the plant is more valuable, a far larger amount 
1 — llOSES IN LOTS. 
in money is realized. Twenty years ago, 50,000 
would have supplied all the demand for New 
York market; if must now require millions. 
Fig. G. —CARNATIONS. 
Figure 3 shows another phase of Greenhous 
culture—the growing of plants to produce cr 
flowers in winter. This section shows a mas 
