WEALTH FROM BLOOMS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 45, 2 December 1938, Page 3

WEALTH FROM BLOOMS

BRITISH ENTERPRISE.

SPECTACULAR RISE OF INDUSTRY A magnificent display of 12,000 British. gladioli in more than .120 varieties in Victoria Gardens at the foot of the Houses of Parliament was arranged recently by the British Growers’ Council. It was the latest of a series ol efforts to provide a “shop window” in London for an industry which under the protection of tariffs, has made spectacular progress in recent years. The council has been responsible for the unrivalled rose collection in Queen Mary’s Gardens, Regent’s Park. It also provided the 2000 flowering shrubs and trees, the plants in the herbaceous border, and the trees in the hardy fruit orchard.

Bulbs for Parks. Vast quantities of bulbs have been presented by the council to the Office of Works for planting iu other public parks, and the floral decorations for the silver jubilee and Coronation celebrations were very largely the gift of this enterprising body. The council was brought into existence by the Ministry of Agriculture in the autumn of 1933, and for two years was partly maintained by public funds; but since then it has been entirely selfsupporting, More than 200 growers are now engaged in rose-tree production. Only a few years ago enormous quantities of foreign roses were imported at prices which made British competition almost impossible. But now, under the protection of an import duty, the industry has enormously expanded and Great Britain and Northern Ireland, easily lead the world in rose-tree pro-

duction. A Study in Results. Information collected by the council shows that:— Britain in less than 50 years has become the world’s biggest producer of narcissi bulbs. Lincolnshire sold almost 10,000 tons, of flowers in 1937, and at times sends awav 200 tons a day. Cornwall’s cut-flower trade brings in over £1,000,000 a year. The tomato industry of the Lea Valley, of Worthing, and of districts in Kent and Lancashire produces 00,000 tons of fruit annually, uses 500,000 tons of coal as fuel and pays £1,250,000 in wages. One of the romances of the industry is the development of anemone culture. It is only fourteen years since Canon Boscaweu, of Ludgaven, drew attention to its commercial possibilities, and now about 450 acres in the west aie

devoted solely to this crop and more than 13,000,000 hunches are sold. Ihe industry enjoys a protective duty of . d a lb. It is one of the merry instances of growers’ quick response to State aid.