Vol. LVII. No. 2524. 
NEW YORK, JUNE 11, 1898. 
$1 PER YEAR. 
THE EVOLUTION OF A FLORIST. 
FROM RADISHES TO ROSES. 
The Farm and the Flower Trade. 
Near the large cities, all over the country, are small 
farms where actual farming becomes unprofitable, 
owing to a change in conditions. The place may be 
too small for extensive farming operations, yet un¬ 
suited to intensive truck-growing ; the land undesira¬ 
ble for residences without being properly situated for 
business buildings. It often happens that a man try¬ 
ing to make a modest living in such a 
place makes a gradual transition from 
farming to the flower trade, and some 
account of his successive steps, may be 
of interest to those confronted by like 
conditions. 
‘ ‘ Were you always in the florist trade ?” 
was the question asked of one who makes 
a specialty of mignonette. 
“ No, I began as a fanner, and drifted 
into the flower business,” returned the 
mignonette man. “ However, I wouldn’t 
advise every man who fails to get along 
at farming to try this line.” 
“ What induced you to make the 
change ?” 
“ Simply changed trade conditions. My 
place is conveniently situated for the 
New York market, and in my father’s 
time, sweet corn, Lima beans, melons 
and potatoes would furnish a good living 
for any farmer in the same locality, par¬ 
ticularly if there were a large family to 
work without outside help. We did not 
expect to live luxuriously. But when 
the old place was divided, none of the 
children could go on in just the same 
way. Prices were away down, and labor 
dear, so some of the family gave up the 
soil entirely, while I tried small truck¬ 
ing on my little farm.” 
“ How did you come to leave trucking 
for flowers ? ” 
“ Just as many others do. In growing 
early vegetables, I used frames and hot¬ 
beds, and finally, reading about the 
large returns from violets, I tried them 
in frames. I was successful as far as 
producing flowers was concerned, but I 
didn’t get them at the right season ; 
every one had violets when my frames 
were in full bearing, and the price was 
low. I didn’t know how to market them 
either, but peddled them around so there 
wasn’t much in it. Then I built two 
little houses heated by hot water, and 
the next Winter, I was more fortunate.” 
“ How did you sell your crop then ? ” 
“Through a regular commission florist. 
These dealers handle the product of the 
greenhouse just as a West Street produce 
man does that of the farm. The New 
York cut flower trade is the most critical 
and exacting in the country, and, to be 
quoted at top prices, any flowers—roses, 
carnations, violets, or whatever they may 
be—must be graded so as to be of even 
quality, carefully packed, and shipped 
early in the day. My flowers reach the 
commission man by 6.30 A. M., and are 
usually sold by 8. This is different from 
many of the other cities ; in Chicago, for 
example, the main sales tak^ place 
several hours later than in New York, 
because the shipping facilities from the 
suburban towns are not so well managed. ” 
“ Did you find it all plain sailing when you began to 
grow violets ? ” 
“No, indeed ! You see I meant to grow violets 
merely as a side issue, to help me out when radishes 
and lettuce were dull ; but I soon found that the 
flower trade was far more exacting than trucking. 
My violets had to be attended to in Summer as well as 
Winter, requiring careful field cultivation before they 
were planted under glass. I had to learn, when cold, 
foggy weather set in around the holidays, that I 
couldn’t make up for the lack of sun by extra heat; I 
tried it, and got a bad visitation of Red spider for my 
pains. In fact, I learned that, no matter how much a 
man knew about garden truck, he could not grow 
flowers well without lots of study.” 
“ I see that you are still growing violets, both double 
and single. Is there a demand for both types ? ” 
“Yes, violets are always favorite flowers, but for 
several seasons past, they have been grown in such 
quantities that a man must raise a superior article to 
insure any return. The single violets are the first on 
the market in Fall, and there is sale all Winter for 
them in high quality, though the doubles 
are still the favorites. The single varie¬ 
ties I grow are Luxonne and California, 
and Lady Hume Campbell for double. 
The old double, which I grew at first, 
was Marie Louise, but the Campbell does 
not seem so subject to disease.” 
“Did you drop your truck-growing 
entirely when you began to succeed with 
the violets ? ” 
“ Not for several years. I still grew 
lettuce, radishes, and other small crops, 
adding mignonette and carnations. I 
selected these flowers rather than roses 
because I was under the impression that 
I could grow them both in the cheaper 
style of houses, with less heat. I soon 
learned, however, that, to compete with 
the specialist grower, carnations must 
be grown in high-class houses especially 
suited to their needs. Mignonette could 
be grown in a cheaper style of house, 
and I also grew smilax quite profitably.” 
“ What special requisites did you find 
necessary for growing mignonette ?” 
“ A good strain of seed, to begin with. 
It is necessary, too, that lateral shoots 
be pinched off, throwing all the strength 
into one main spike. A good many 
growers say that there is no money in 
mignonette, and certainly there is not, 
if the product is carelessly grown and 
marketed ; but T am not willing to give 
it up. Similarly, it is generally con¬ 
sidered that smilax does not pay as it 
once did, because it has been supplanted, 
in the finer trade, by climbing Aspar¬ 
agus ; but I still find that it pays me.” 
“ You do not grow plants of any kind 
for sale, do you ? ” 
“ No, the florist’s trade is now so spe¬ 
cialized that a man cannot spread over a 
wide range of ground. The plant trade 
and the cut-flower trade are two entirely 
different branches. There is quite a 
difference, too, between growing plants 
for a local retail trade, and for the 
wholesale market. Each demands a dif¬ 
ferent class of material. The wholesale 
trade is again divided between the grow¬ 
ers of decorative plants, such as palms 
and ferns, and those who grow flowering 
plants, Azaleas, Primulas, Cyclamens, 
heaths, etc.” 
“If you were asked to advise a man 
starting as you did yourself, which 
branch would you recommend, cut flow¬ 
ers for the wholesale market, or plants 
for a general retail trade ? ” 
“ That would depend entirely upon 
surrounding circumstances. A man may 
succeed with a general retail business in 
a village or small town, which may be a 
long way from any large city ; but to 
succeed in growing cut flowers for the 
wholesale trade, he must be close to a 
THE BLOSSOMS OF THE VELVET BEAN. Fig. 180. See Page 414. 
