ANEMONE FARMS

Waikato Times, Volume 123, Issue 20692, 30 December 1938, Page 2

ANEMONE FARMS

NEW INDUSTRY IN CORNWALL CHANCE EXPERIMENT SUCCEEDS A chance experiment made 1 i years ago has brought a new and profitable industry to Cornwall and extended its cut flower season from three to six months. Travelling in France in 192 4. a Cornish resident was so impressed with the beauty of the giant anemone which grew in abundance even during the winter months that he brought hack some of the seed of the variety Du Caen, and planted them in his garden m the West Country. They llowered just as profusely in the warm soil and mild Cornish climate as on the Continent. dowers noted this fact, and soon bunchi - way to (lovent Carden, London's central llower market, where they proved popular owing to the excellent way they Inst. The demand increased and increased, and

so began the new Cornish industry of anemone growing. To-day anemone farms cluster around Penzance and in the sheltered spots along the Devon and Cornish coast. In Cornwall alone there are over 1000 growers, while Die acreage under cultivation has increased from 5(? to 400 in the last seven years. This year the anemone traffic promises to beat ail records. In the early hours of one morning, at the end of last month, over six tons, representing 600.000 blooms, arrived at Paddington Station, London, en route for Covent i Garden alone —a 40 per cent increase I .over the traffic received on a similar I night last year.