A ROSE MANUFACTORY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 689, 10 February 1881, Page 2

A ROSE MANUFACTORY.

'Not a single'day of the year is loat in aW roße manufaoioryi From the first day of. \ January to the last day of December the ~ growth goes on with utideviatitig regularity. Roses which in their season cost half* ■ a"crown 1 each, are in due time succeeded; ' by- oouutless,thousands of beautiful blossoms from the" same beds which may be-.-purchased for a penny a-piece. For the . "queeii of flowers" there is a newfcceaswiL demand, so much that it is found profitable . to oringover loads.of these blossoms from, France and other countries. - The phje£ ; , art of the London florist ii exercised iu providing a vast display of blooms at-the:. . time they are most in demaud j in the winter season, and during the early weeks; of spring, prices aire high, and.all the year, round the figure, obtained must beahighly remunerative one, probably not less than.. sixpence a blossom'on the average, and on some days as .many as two thousand ; flowers will be forwarded to the bouquetmakers from oiib florist. A visit to the houses of glass in which _our .florist carry,.. on their business will: be well worth the . time expended. Much cunning is displayed in rose culture, and the wealth of. biosBoni3 that can be grown in a' glass house . three hundred feet, long and forty feet broad will seem marvellous to the uninitiated.- It must notjhowever,:be taken for granted that our florists are free from anxiety. Market gardeners of every, • description, fruit and vegetable growers as well as florists, are haunted-'night and . day'hy various cares-an uiiexpßofed and . consequently unprovided for night's frost plays havoc amid their pot#Mileat;alllinies a fierce fight has to be. fought with. myriads of insect enemies. - In the case, of roses there is the green fly to, contend.': against, as well as the fear of that unceasing attention is absolutely necessary. Although house reared, tea-; rose's and other fancy varieties constitute .--, a florist's most profitable business,: he will iiiotneglect.bthersorts; Thusarpundthe'.' . metropolis many acres of land are devoted* to the culture of the. red coloured moss" . rose'. 'As an.' exaniple uf the general economy of London market gardening,' and( the economy'of space whioh is requisite'in' such dearly-rented ground-as the florists are compelled to occupy,'.it.may be mentinned that thousands of rose bushes are'i plaiitdd in. nrohardi, and grow vigorously.' enough under" the shadow of the fruit... trees. The rental of flower-growing ground near London varies from. £6 "to, iEl4an acre/aud many a florist haa made a fortune out of a few acres.—Pall Mall Gazette.