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Show FEBRUARY JIE JOURNAL reen ringers in Davis bounty That expression first used as t logan years ago by Samuel Smith n early Davis county nurseryman toy fittingly be applied to one ol Davis countys earliest and mosl that o' flourishing industries forticulture. The products of Da- county greenhouses and nurser es, besides filling the local demand, are shipped into practicallj very state in the union, A large segment of Davis countj jeople are employed in this prosperous business of fruit tree and lower cultivation which stretches 'rom one end of the county to the )ther and which accounts for a prge share of the county's annual tncome. The scale of business, figured on a monetary basis, would well into the five figure racket each year. Perhaps the best way to describe ow this industry started in the ounty would be to say it just pew. Some of the largest today had their start when he owners, decided to dabble with flowers and bulbs just ls a hobby, in their spare time. The ertility of Davis county soil is of nature to make things grow fast nd in excellent quality. It was noon discovered that the hobbies vere paying off, and as a consnd 1 I frees are awaiting spring distribu- - fj portion of the crew of the Miller Floral Company, taken in one of the Companys greenhouses. ing planting season, approximately 125 people are employed here. A as the Smith Brothers Nurseries, and again engaged in both production and distribution at Centerville. In 1022, pressed by the need for expansion, they began to look about for more room and branched out to Clearfield. It was Charles Smiths father, C. L. Smith, who originated the well known expression, By their fruits ve shall know them. He died in October of 1948 at the age of 82. Charles Smith himself is a big man, who takes an understandable pride in his work. When he speaks of the nursery business, his ardor and devotion to his work gushes forth in torrents of enthusiasm and ou know you are listening to a man who knows what hes talking about. He has boundless praise for the fertility of our soil, which he calls the best in the country. Because of this the seedlings grow very fast. So fast, Mr. Smith stated, that you can almost see them grow. He states that he has recorded an inch of growth in one period. From Clearfield, lets take a over to quick jump Farmington, home of the Miller Floral Company, this year marking its 40th anniversary as one of the nations leading producers of flowers. The Miller Floral company has literally laid a net of flowers over the entire western United States. Each year, this company sends out 24-ho- ur J rj n n ri )) - pro-luce- rs cience we now have the Kirkland mrseries at Bountiful, which ships ose bushes into .'ll) states in the anion; the Smith Brothers nurser-e- s at Clearfieled, which produced he seedlings that are now orchards bearing the nations finest fruit; and the Miller Floral Company at Farmington, whose products have gained a reputation for luality throughout the entire west. That is just to mention a few. Lets take a closer look at this fecal business that just grew and s still growing. We start at Clearfield and make uur first stop at the Smith Brothers Nursery now operated by Charles Smith, producer and distributor of fruit trees. Here, in storage houses insulated against he weather, thousands of young l5. men, and he helped organize tlu Utah Rose Society back in 1037. Lets make another visit this time to the Porter-Walto- n Seed and Nursery Company, located in the thriving little community 0f Centerville. Here we find one of the largest and most important pro. ducers of seeds and nursery prod, ucts in the country. As with all the others we have is distinctly visited, Porter-Walto- n a Davis county concern, that has contributed- vastly to the reputation of Davis county as first class producer of nursery stock and seeds of the highest quality. On its more than 110 acres of land and in its greenhouses the Company justifies its slogan of producing Mountain grown seeds and plants famous for yield, quality and dependability. In the testing and growing grounds at Centerville endless experiments are conducted with seeds of every kind, to produce the highest qual- Byn their fruits ye may know lem. 21, of thousands of cut plants, including roses, chrysanthemums, snapdragons, carnations and sweetpeas. Each day, a steady stream of the most beautiful flowers it is possible to grow flows from the extensive Farmington greenhouses to points of distribution in Salt Lake City and Ogden. Needless to say, here also is one of the principal sources of flowers for the numerous retail outlets in Dahundreds vis county. j Inclosed within the more than a quarter million square feet of glass that make the Miller greenhouses are acres of the finest blossoms it is possible for man and nature to produce. In a riot of intoxicating color and beauty there is row on row of flowers. Blended into the brilliant pattern are roses, carnations, bulb blossoms of every description, and potted plants of all variety. This year the Miller Floral Company expects to send out nearly a million and one-ha- lf cut roses. The quality of these roses has gained the floral company an enviable Dur- Barnett, J. R. Moon, Irvin Hughes, Oscar Backman, Fred Gregory and Ray Steed. Company officers are Golden J. Barton, president; J. Wallace Williams, vice president; L. C. Palmer, Mrs. George Hess and Mrs. E. B. Gregory, directors. The firm is managed jointly by Mr. Barton and Mr. Williams. From Farmington lets take a jump over to Bountiful for a look at the Kirkland Nurseries. Back in 1039, Mr. Kirkland grew roses in the municipal garden at Salt Lake City. Under his hand the flowers seemed to flourish, and friends, noting his success at making things grow, suggested that he go into business. The Kirklands did just that, and their degree of success is amply demonstrated by the present prosperous and thriving Kirkland Nurseries in Bountiful. The Kirklands started out with six acres of land and approximately 300 plants. From then on, in the words of Mrs. Kirkland, things just seemed to grow. At the present time are operating on 20 acres of land, producing shrubs, trees, berry plants and evergreens, with rose bushes as a specialty. They are listed as one of the nations top ity of plant obtainable. Porter-Walto- n was established in 1005, and since then, like other enterprises of its kind in Davis county, has just seemed to grow. Today it is a valuable factor in the commercial structure of the county, as a source of employment for local people and as producer of a product that has gained for the county a national reputation. Moving on, we make out next stop at the greenhouse of Fred Nichols at Farmington, a relatively newcomer in the field. When Mr. Nichols decided to build his first greenhouse, in 1945, he admits that he didnt know anything about growing crops under glass. I decided if other people could make a success of it, so could I, he relates. As it turned out, Mr. Nichols was absolutely correct in this decision. At this time, Mr. Nichols venture into the greenhouse industry can definitely be called a success. He now has three greenhouses and is getting ready to take on a fourth. Mr. Nichols recalls that before he got his first, greenhouse built he sometimes wondered if he wasnt just a little touched. That was v reputation throughout the nation. In years past they were repeatedly winners of the rose display at the and their tournament of roses in Pasadena, producers of into goes product practically every California. state in the union. They employ Each year approximately 500,000 an average of 13 workers in season, of the worlds finest carnations are and keep three employes on right 1. here. months. the winter produced through Ray Kirkland was just recently The Miller Floral Company was elected secretary-treasurof the started in 1910 by Robert Miller. o Association of nursery- Mr. Miller started the venture with a cash asset reputed at $1,000, but with incalculable assets m business ability and faith in what he Fred Nichols, of Farmington set out to do. He started out with has good reason to smile. In one small greenhouse and a small 1945 he built first greenhouse, office building. From this modest now planning fourth. beginning the company flourished and grew into one of the countrys back in 1045 when building were scarce, he says, an largest producers of flowers, and became a monument to progress- in when you did find anything usable Davis county. you had to pay exorbitant prices. He finally got the first greenAs the largest unit in one of house built and then he started to Davis countys basic industries, the read. He bought books on carnaMiller Floral is today a great contion and chrysanthemum culture tributor to a more prosperous and decided that would be the having imis an thriving community. It crops to experiment on. He read portant source of employment, the books from cover to cover and wages, and taxes. The company then planted his carnations and retains a d average of mums. He sold his entire crop, and 50 steady employees, most of whom couldnt supply the demand. The own their own homes, fully paid next year he built a second greenfor, in Davis county. In the planthouse, and 'then planted the first ing seasons the company employes house to carnations and the second up to 125 people. A number of the house to mums. employees have been with the comMr. Nichols By this time, pany for many years. Included states, the customers were very Tn among those with 25 or more years pleased with my flowers. of service are Whitney Smith, Gil third greenhouse soon put in it Robinson, J. N. West, Delbert Mrs. Ray Kirkland (above), appearance, and the Nichols greenManning, Walter Wickens, Clifton and her husband run the Kirkhouses at Farmington tvere firmly Wood, Edward F. Clark, Delbert land Nurseries at Bountiful. (Continued on page 12.) rose-bushe- s, 3 er Utah-Idah- ' tv v' 'V, - - - 5 Charles Smith, nurseryman at Clearfield, holds handful of seedlings orchard. fcion that will produce an mate-rial- to fruit growers. Listed among .the local orders is one for 300 acres pf peach trees and another for 200 - peach trees. The insulation of the storage house is such that a thunder storm raging outside would not Jbe heard on the inside, and it would require a terrific wind and storm to change the temperature so much as two degrees. Two years of time, involving 21 individual hand operations are required to develop each year-aroun- plant through the seedling stage to the completed product, ready for the orchard. The Smith nursery had its beginning as the Davis County Nursery, started in 18S5 by Samuel Smith, grandfather of the present owner. A few years later they sold the trade name and retail business, and operated solely as producers, but this arrangement failed to work and in 1805 they reorganied Jjout, s Horace J. Steed would rather raise Gladiolus bulbs than fish. He is one of the countrys biggest producers. l |