ORNAMENTALS.
While some farmers are growing crops to pro vide their fellows with food, clothing and shelter, others are reciprocating by growing plants to or nament the home and public places. The growth of the desire for beautiful plants has been very marked in the last half-century. Within that time commercial floriculture has arisen, together with a large part of nursery-farming. [See Nurseries.] The growing of ornamental plants, however, is a wider business than floriculture. The business of floriculture is included within it. Floriculture is properly the growing of flowers, including, of course, the rearing of the plants that are to pro duce the flowers. By custom, also, the term is ap plied to the raising of many or most herbaceous ornamental plants and all greenhouse ornamentals, whether grown for foliage or habit. Unfortu because the increased demand has made it possible to make a more effective business organization.
The business of floriculture may derive its rev enue from (a) the selling of cut-flowers (as carna tions, roses and violets); (b) the selling of pot plants to the user (as begonias, palms and many greenhouse and window-garden plants); (c) the selling of nursery products, more or less whole sale (as small plants of carnations, chrysanthe mums, canvas); (d) the selling of seeds or bulbs. Flower-farming of one kind or another has now become one of the important agricultural indus tries, comprising a total in the United States at the last census of 6,159 commercial farms or es tablishments, with 42,662 acres, a total property valuation of $52,462,419, a total value of products of $18,505,881, and an average value of $431.83 per acre of products not fed to live-stock. Aside from these establishments are many others, as nurseries and truck-farms, that grow and sell flow ers as a secondary business. There are numberless private places giving much attention to ornamen tals. The glass surface reported by florists (about one-third greater than the land surface on which the structures stand) was 68,030,666 square feet, in 6,070 establishments. More than half this glass was in the north Atlantic states, New York lead ing with 10,690,777 square feet, and Pennsylvania second with 8,811,711 square feet.
Floriculture is a concentrated and high-class business, notwithstanding the fact that many establishments are shiftless and profitless. The av erage size of flower- and plant-farms in the census year was less than seven acres. On these farms, the value of land and its improvements was some $28,000,000, while the value of the buildings was above $22,500,000. The implements were rela tively low, being only $1,366,887 worth. The amount expended for labor was more than $4,000, 000, or about one-seventh the value of the land and between one-fourth and one-fifth the value of the salable produdt. The labor cost was about $100 per acre.
The risks in floriculture are great because of the perishable nature of the products, the changes in taste, the expensiveness and unsubstantial char acter of buildings, and the cost of heat and other maintenance. The difference between the whole
sale and retail prices is very marked. The busi ness is now largely broken up into specialties, one establishment devoting itself mostly to carnations, another to violets or roses, and the like. Although the number of species of florists' plants runs into thousands, the numbers that are commercially im portant are relatively few, and, for these special ties, societies of growers are usually organized. The cut-flower industry has made great headway in recent years, with roses, carnations and violets as the leading crops. In the growing of all these specialties, great perfection of manual and me chanical skill has been developed. This skill is constantly becoming more rational and less rule of-thumb. The workmanship is passing out of the hands of the old-time apprenticed gardener who was trained to grow a great variety of plants for personal or household use. The glasshouses have come to cover acres of land rather than square feet, and they are simple, direct and completely utilizable. The notions of greenhouse building that were current twenty-five years ago are now largely outgrown for commercial establishments (see Figs. 179 to 188). The utilizing of cool storage for some of the products has had great effect. The develop ment of the city flower store, the delivery wagon system, and the wholesale trade have changed the whole aspect of the business. The breeding of plants in one way and another has long been an important factor in flower-growing. The greater number of authentic historic plant hybrids are between greenhouse and other garden plants. The underlying problems of plant nutrition and of soil fertility and efficiency are yet little studied, however, in their practical applications to the florists' business. The florist makes his soil. He depends little on concentrated fertilizers, but greatly on manure, rotted sod and other humous ameliorators.
The organization phases of floriculture have lit tle relation to the farm management and crop management problems that are the proper theme of this Cyclopedia ; the floricultural subjects and plants are discussed in many phases in the Cyclo pedia of American Horticulture; therefore the sub ject may not be further discussed here. The best literature will be found in the trade papers, and the reports of national societies. There are recent good books devoted to special plants, but none de voted to the whole subject of commercial floricul ture ; in fact, the subject is scarcely homogeneous enough for conspectic treatment. The business of growing ornamental plants is increasing rapidly, and it will continue to increase because the desire for beautiful objects rises with the accumulation of means and the progress of civilization. Every observant person will have noticed that every year greater attention is paid to the care and adorn ment of home grounds. This practice is beginning to extend far into the open country.