116 
THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
in comparison to what the horticulturists of the old 
world manifest when they visit our principal nurseries. 
It is but a few years since America was the best market 
for many of the leading productions of the English and 
Continental Nurseries. Upon them we depended, in a 
great measure, for our Roses, Camellias, Azaleas, and 
other ornamental plants, and but few, if any, bulbs 
were produced here for purposes of sale. We looked to 
France for our Gladiolus, to Italy for our Tuberoses, to 
Germany and Holland for our Lilies and other bulbs. 
At the present time, the tables are reversed. We send 
annually to Europe now ten times the number of Tube¬ 
roses, that we ever imported from there in any one 
season. We are returning to them the Gladiolus they 
sent us, greatly improved in appearance, because of the 
good care they have received at our hands, and the con¬ 
dition of our soil and climate, so congenial to them and 
so favorable for their perfect development. And what 
is ]true of these bulbs is also equally true of many 
of our other useful and ornamental plants which 
now find a ready market in Europe. Our Rose growers 
no longer depend upon foreign countries for their stock, 
as our own productions are far better adapted to the 
purposes for which they are required, viz.: Roses for 
the cut-flower trade. In fact, our Rose growers use 
plants of foreign growth only when their new varieties 
are thought valuable, or where our home market is 
short of any desired sort. We get by far larger and 
better flowers from plants of our own production. 
£ Every section of our country is awake to the import¬ 
ance of this now great and rapidly increasing industry, 
The number of very large plant establishments, either 
for specialties or for general assortment, is truly won¬ 
derful. Prominent among these is that of 
THE STORRS & HARRISON CO., 
Painesville, Ohio, who started business in this place, in 
1854, and in thirty years have, from a small beginning, 
built up a business of great importance. Their nursery 
now covers a space of 530 acres, about three-fifths of 
the whole being covered with nursery stock, the re¬ 
mainder being employed with farm crops in order to 
again bring the soil into fit condition for the production 
of nursery stock. The soil varies from a warm, gravelly 
loam to a strong clay; about 200 acres of the latter has 
been thoroughly underdrained with tile at a distance 
of every two rods, with an average depth of three feet. 
For the growing of fruit-trees this land is all that could 
be desired, united with a climate equally favorable for 
their healthful development; their stock is always per¬ 
fectly healthy and vigorous. This firm was among the 
first that adopted the system of sending fruit-trees by 
mail, a system of great importance to the buyer, as it 
enables him to get trees sufficient for an orchard for a 
less sum than a dozen trees would have cost but a few 
years ago; at the same time the trees are sure to live, 
and produce fruit quite as quickly as will the larger 
trees taken from nursery rows. The fact of their going 
by mail does not add to their value. The good results 
from planting young trees; for when a tree can be re¬ 
moved with its roots entire, the danger of injury by 
removal is materially lessened. 
The culture of our native Chestnut has been one of 
this firm’s specialties, and one that should be encour¬ 
aged, for this tree is one of the glories of the hill-sides 
in our northern States and of the higher altitudes in the 
South. Succeeding, as it does, so admirably on 
rocky, uneven surfaces that cannot be cultivated, it 
should be extensively planted; in such situations it 
is a valuable tree, not only for its fruit, but for its 
useful timber. 
In addition to their fruit and ornamental tree depart¬ 
ment, this firm has twenty-one large greenhouses for 
the propagation of greenhouse and bedding plants, 
choice Evergreens, Grapevines, etc., etc. These' are 
heated by the most approved hot-water apparatus; they 
have also a complete system of water-works to supply 
the houses. In those houses they grow annually about 
a quarter of a million Roses and a proportionate amount 
of miscellaneous greenhouse plants, including Gera¬ 
niums, Carnations, Fuchsias, and almost every class of 
plants to be found in our best establishments. The 
popular system of sending all garden requisites by mail 
is here practiced to a very great extent. The plants are 
all packed in wooden-boxes, and live Moss is carefully 
packed about the roots, and when required for further 
protection, where plants are to be sent long distances, 
the plants are wrapped in wax-paper. While this is an 
expensive method, it insures success in the transit—a 
feature of great importance both to dealer an pur¬ 
chaser, for when the latter is pleased the former is ben¬ 
efited. The safe arrival of plants is guaranteed to all 
purchasers, far or near, which is one of the reasons why 
so much care is exercised in packing; and because of 
the pains taken in packing, the risk is so little that they 
can well afford the guarantee—a good rule working well 
both ways. The arrangements by which the machinery 
of this vast plant industry is run are very complete. 
There exists a systematical division of the various de¬ 
partments, with one of the company, whose lifelong 
experience eminently fits him for the position, at the 
head, superintending, planning and directing every de¬ 
tail. This perfect system cannot fail to continue the 
enviable reputation the establishment has so long en¬ 
joyed. 
HOW TO KEEP CUT FLOWERS. 
Cut flowers in vases should have a fresh supply of 
water every morning; the dead buds and decayed leaves 
should be taken away and the ends of the stalks cut off. 
All the leaves should be removed from that part of the 
stalk that is in the vase. When the flowers begin to 
hang the head and show a general aspect of langour, cut 
off the ends of the stalk with a sharp knife, and put 
them about two inches deep in warm water for a few 
minutes; the water should not be actually scalding, but 
as warm as you can hold your hand in without pain; the 
moisture will make its way through the cells of which 
the stem is composed, and if they be taken from the 
-warm and immediately replaced in fresh cold water the 
flowers will revive and yet live for some days or hours 
longer, according to their kind. They should not be 
exposed to a hot sun. 
