OCR Text |
Show WIIEILE FLOWERS GROW. ASTORIA, LONG ISLAND, A LAND OF . BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS. What Goes On in One of the Great Greenhouses Green-houses Which Supply New fork with Flowers und rinnts The Problems of Forcing and Hybrldliatlon. To one in search of poesy or anything above the dull level of the commonplace, probably the last spot which would suggest sug-gest itself as likely to yield it would be the typical, pronaio Ing Island town. Yet ono of these, and one of tho most prosaic at that, is paradoxical as it may appear a veritable land of flowers. Astoria As-toria teems with lovely, though hidden blooms. If the flowers which the florist's jealous care covers fro'iu the inclement weather were left exposed,' they would spread over thousand's of acres, and make of the little town a garden of loveliness. For eight months in the year the daily supply of flowers to this city amounts to $15,000 worth, while on special occasions, such as Easter and other holidays, the amount is nearly doubled, and the greater part of this supply comes from Long Ialand. The largest of the Astoria nureeries stands just within the limiU of the village. vil-lage. The wide expanse of turf around it is dotted wi'.h no Ism than thirty-one greenhouses, whose glistening roofs comprise com-prise some 75,000 squwe feet of glas.s. The hybridization of plants to form new specimens is in no small measure dependent on chance. The method employed em-ployed is in itself simple, and consists of dusting the pollen from the bloom of ono plant upon the stigma of the other, the resuit being a flower partaking of the characters of both. Tho incidental circumstances, cir-cumstances, however, are almost impossible impos-sible to regulate, save by scientific application ap-plication and tho minutest care. The selection of two plants which are liable to join, is, in itself, a test of the floriculturists floricult-urists skill, and this being achieved, the temperature must be regulated to the convenience of the plants, and tho dryness dry-ness or moisture of tho atmosphere carefully care-fully watched. Yet, in spite of all precautions, pre-cautions, and for no apparent reason, the attempted hybridization is often a failure. fail-ure. Some of the best discoveries ever made in this branch of horticulture have been brought about accidentally, the beautiful chrysanthemum called Mrs. Alpheus Hardy being the result of one of these fortunate blunders. F0P,CIN'O BLOSSOM3 AND FECIT. Another problem which has from tme immemorial busied the nurserymen is the question of producing blooms or fruit at stated periods by forcing, in defiance of natural laws, and although thisthas not yet been reduced to a certain law, important ' improvements have been made. A skillful gardener can, by the regulation of .beat, moisture and fertilizers, ferti-lizers, considerably advance or retard tho production of any plant. In Japan, w here floriculture has attained to acien-tiiic acien-tiiic heights as yet unknown in America, the precise dav can be fixed for the blos- soming or fruition. Only a vast experience can foretell the degree of heat necessary to a plant, and iu all nurseries the greatest precautions are utilized to insure succrss. In the nurseries nurser-ies referred to, more than 40,000 feet of pipe aro used for heating, while a windmill wind-mill pumps 30,000 gallons of water daily for use in the hothouses. The regulation of heat varies with the nature of the plant. Tho difference of temperature be-; tween individual hothouses is marked; for, while in one thero will be 100 df gs. or more of dry, parching heat, the next will be almost cold', and the air of another may be heavy with a moist heat which turns it into a vapor bath. The amount of forcing also varies with different species of plants, some thriving under it and displaying marvelous beauties beau-ties which they never attain in their native ntate, while others, like the slender slen-der Dcndrobium Thyrsifloruni, refuse to depart from ordinary laws and die when artificial nieaus uro applied. The plants are watered every day, and in Rome cases twice or three times a day. This alone takes up a considerable amount of the workmen's time, but it is nob tho only attention claimed by them. A daily round must bo made in each greenhouse and each oue of the growths investigate ed, certain plants clipped or grafted and weeds and withered leaves removed from all. To the floriculturist flowera have 'no romance. Their cultivation to him is a mere matter of commercial value, and the sight of a florist and his apprentices seizing delicate plants by tho handful and pulling them hither and thither always al-ways fills the layman with alarm. : , A HILUO.N PLAI.-T3 UKDEIt GLASS. '. Each of tho spacious hothouses is devoted de-voted to a single plant and its varieties, and the whole number aggregates nearly near-ly 1,000,000 plants. This tir;n handles more ferns than any house in tho country, coun-try, and it sends out over 100,000 ferns annually. All sorts and conditions of ferns are represented, and from tho well known Adiantium, nr maidenhair, to the Dixona, or tree fern, which frequently sells for $50. The other hothouses contain a prismatic pris-matic gradation of colors, from the pule yellow of jonquils to the burning orange of tho large amaryilis, and from the dazzling daz-zling white azalea to its richest deep red shade. Of course, rosea are plentifully represented; the well known La France is here; also tho majestic American beauty, and the newer varieties which have superseded these in popular favor, as the Bride, Puritan, William Francis Bennett and Mine. Holatie. The fashion in roses,, like every other, is subject to fads, and their prices are greatly affected in consequence. When a rose is "the rage'' the smallest platt, as it sprouts in the tiny pots known as "thumb pots," is worth from $1 to i; while later, when its popularity is on the wane, the same plant fetches barely five or ten cents. New York Commercial Advertiser. |