FLORICULTURE IN AMERICA.— Growing flowers as a business was unknown in America previous to about 1825; and, indeed as late as 50 years ago it was impossible to buy cut flowers in some of our leading cities. Owing to the increase of population of the Eastern cities, and consequent increase of wealth and luxury, a demand for flowers began to be felt in the second quarter of the last century; and thus began the development of commercial floriculture in this country. This branch of horticulture first became prominent in the vicin ity of Philadelphia and Boston. In the early days more wealth was centred in these cities, and the people there paid more attention to luxuries in home surroundings. New York was less prominent in the development of this in dustry. From 1830 to 1840 floriculture made considerable progress, owing to improved meth ods in the construction and management of greenhouses, as well as to the increased demand for flowers. The application of hot-water heat to greenhouses gave an impetus to the work, making it possible to grow better plants than had been done when heated air conducted through brick flues was the only means of keep ing out the frost. After the Civil War the development of the industry was rapid and varied, as to extent and methods, and as to the kinds of flowers cultivated. Up to about 1885 the cultivation of plants was the leading feature of floricultural work; but since that time the rapid increase of wealth and luxury in the large cities has developed a tremendous demand for cut flowers, thus making this branch of the business the all-important one for the florist. This increased demand for cut flowers has led to specialization in floriculture and has produced the best work of the florist. Older flowers, such as the once popular camellia, have been dropped, and the rose, carnation, violet and chrysanthemum have been substituted. In this way floriculture, as we find it to-day, has been gradually evolved. There are two distinct de partments of the work, viz., the growing of plants, and the cultivation of cut flowers. The plants grown mostly are various kinds of palms, ferns, rubber plants and dracaenas; also orna mental and bedding stock for outdoor pur poses. There has been specialization in both of these main branches of floriculture. For in stance, certain growers devote all their energies to palms ; other. concentrate on ferns; others raise bedding-plants exclusively. In flower growing there has been even greater specializa tion; and it would now be difficult to find an important establishment where more than one of the leading flowers is grown. While one
florist will grow roses exclusively, another will devote all his time and ingenuity to the im provement of the carnation, a third will grow nothing but violets, and a fourth will concen trate on chrysanthemums. These four flowers are the most important cut flowers, their com mercial importance being in the order named. The most recent statistics on floriculture in the United States, those of the census of 1910, show that the total number of farms and florists' es tablishments reporting the production of flow ers and plants in 1909 was 10,614; the total acreage reported as devoted to these products was 78,248 and their value was $34,872,000. The acreage of flowers and plants increased 96.1 per cent between 1899 and 1909, while the value in creased 85.9 per cent, the value per acre thus showing a decline during the decade. About 99 per cent of the value of flowers and plants in 1909 was produced in 7,444 establishments that had an output valued at more than $250, the average value for these establishments being ,$4,630. As would be expected a large part of these establishments were located . near large cities. The leading States in value of flowers and plants were: New York 85,110,00C Pennsylvania 3.761.00( [ninon; 3,681,00( New Jersey 2.839,00( Massachusetts 2.432,00( )hio 2,357,00( Ilalifomia 1,374,00( [ndiana 1.202,00( Michigan 1,132,00( ;:onneoticut 1,042,00( No other State reported the value of flowers and plants as great as $1,000,000.
Since the figures given above are something less than the wholesale price, and the profit of the retailer is about 100 per cent, it is clear that the public spends annually some $70,000,000 on flowers.
See BOTANY; PLANT BREEDING; HORTICUL TURE; FLOWER; FLOWERS AND INSECTS; GARDEN; INFLORESCENCE; GREENHOUSE; CROSS-FERTILIZA TION ; FERTILIZATION, etc. • Bridgeman, T., 'Flower gardening (Philadelphia 1880) ; Hampden, M., 'Every woman's flower garden> (New York 1915); Harrison, C. S., 'The gold mine in the front yard and how to work it, showing how millions of dollars can be added to the value of prairie farms' (Saint Paul 1905) ; Henderson, P., 'Practical floriculture' (New York 1874) ; Holland, L. B., 'The garden blue-book' (Gar den City, N. Y., 1915); Shelton, L., 'Continous bloom in America' (New York 1915); White, E. A., 'The principles of floriculture' (New York 1915). Consult also Bailey's 'Garden Craft' series, and his 'Cyclopedia of American Horticulture.'