FLOWER CULTURE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 25, 24 October 1907, Page 3

FLOWER CULTURE.

PROFITABLE INDUSTRY FOR WOMEN.. Some women take; naturally to flower culture.. Wo wonder how many of thorn realise the vastness of thelopening which lies within, their reach for'making-money by the sale of, flowers, We.invite them to sit straight down with pencil and paper and reckon up, by the aid of the prices .we give below, how much money they hare, been losing year after year by liot .'previously growing flowers for sale' to thW'citj I 'florists and. other large 'purchasers. , ' How . riiuch "of .their land is wasting under grass .'or' 'under; hedges that bear no florists' 'flowers? A hedge of camellias, or sweet'peas, or roses, or chrysanthemums, or dahlias, or arum lilies, would be prettier, and probably just as useful, and certainly'miichmoro profitable.' A judicious adaptation, of. .varieties to fitting, positions should be made—the bulbous sorts and the violets and primroses in the shaded places (if. you are 'fortunate enough to have any), and, those which need much sunshino in the more open places—but all, of them on welldrained,, deep-dug soil containing., much buried vegetablo matter,..such as grass, and other weeds. Hero is our list; "checked and found correct by a leading, 'Wellington florist. The prices represent the prices that a florist will.pay for good blooms, grown out of doors. Glasshouse flowers, of cburso, are much more expensive:— , ...-■• v Violets, up to ' ' -~.. Is. per 100; Primroses ... ... . 6d. ■„ ~ Roses.: '■' ■ ... ... Is. per doz. . Carnations ; ... ... Is. ~ „■■■ : Asters ..... ... 3d. „ „ ■

, v-Dahlias '3d. „ „ ; * Chrysanthemums ... ' Gd. „ ~ Irises ... — 6d.. „ „ Tulips ... • ... 9d. „ „ ■ Hyacinths Is. to Is. Gd. „ „ Ixins ... ....:. 3d. „ „ Arum lilies ... ... 6d. „ „ . .Other lilies, up/to 2s. Cd. „■, „ ~ This is : not a ; complete list of all florists' , flowers, but it will be' a sufficient guido ror our purpose. The popular, pretty ualfoclil is a flower that "everybody grows," . and it: therefore stands low in price. Only .vory early and very late ones'are worth troubling about. Dahlias do not keep very well, anil Wellington people are said to be. tired of them. We may regret this circumstnacej from an'artistic point of view, but'we must take the fact as we find it, for wo~are only concerned now with hard cash. Polyanthus primroses are as useful as the common yellow sort, and the' same sized handful will fetch the same money.. Yellows and browns are the favourite colours. In roses, tho reds are in best demand. This is, we believe, ■ contrary to the, common view, which would I'uess the yellows as favourites; Violets are very profitable. They are, easy to grow, in properly dug and drained soil. The .plantraisers sell now very large-bloomed varieties,; which are the best to choose. Don't forget that violets are valued . for their scent.Arum lilies are very, very, easy to grow, and the demand- is almost inexhaustible All: white flowers, of course, are appreciated. The arum lilies keep well, but they need to bo debuered without blemish on tho beautiful white perianth. The miniature varieties' are the most. popular of all. . ... , ..- Tho carnation is the most fashionable of all flowers to-day, and some skilled cultiva-, tors are making carnation-growing quite a business. Some people devote whole glasshouses to the largo trce-liko perpotual-bcar-: ing variety to supply the winter require-, ments,'at sometimes Is...fid. each. But for.' our purposo the ordinary sort will do. If. you can grow blooms that measure three inches across, you can get 2d. or 3d. each for them. Anemones and ranunculuses, are also wanted, but. wo have named ..quite enough for a beginning. ' ■ ..';.;'

PAPER MILK BOTTLES. In America now milk is being delivered in paper bottles, this being, it'is believed,- the: most satisfactory method of delivery, as well; as the most sanitary; The bottle consists of a plain paper cylinder, having a flanged bottom securely fastened theroin, and a flanged top held in by ffictional-contact with the insido of the tube-. Tho lid is provided with tabs folded down inside tho flango, by which the cap may be readily removed, although 'some customers prefer to havo tho cap more difficult to remove, as a further guarantee that tho contents of the bottle havo not been tampered with en route. ' Tho bottle is made of new spruce-wood papor in clean, sanitary surroundings. After tho bottom is put in, the bottjc is dipped in hot paraffin. The bottle is then passed into a, sterilising oven, where it continues to absorb paraffin to saturation, the excess draining hack into the dipping tank; Tho bottle is quite strong. '. It. will support a vortical crushing strain of more than 1001b. when filled. ; ■ . ■ ' The paraffin coating renders tho paper impervious to moisture. The paraffin has abso- : lutely no effect on milk in any way.—"Scientific "American."'

The Editor will be pleased to receive correspondence on matters of, interest to women,