Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 71, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 April 1918 — Flowers For Eastern [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Flowers For Eastern

To paint the lily, Is wasteful and ridiculous excess. SO said Shakespeare of the floral emblem of purity, of loveliness and especially of the" renewing of life. Its fairness and fragrance sung by the poet, its perfection of grace painted by the artist, the lily is the queen of spring blossoms chosen to symbolize the resurrection as it is celebrated at Easter. Some years ago the United States department of agriculture took note of this annual exodus 'of American funds, growing larger year by year, and since then it lias beep taking effectual measures to keep those millions at home. In the case of the Easter lily, the narcissus, the hyacinth and the tulip, with other spring blossoms* used at Easter in immense quantities, the government’s experiments have proved that all can be grown in this country, not only as well as abroad, hut better, and the department scientists are now working out the problems of how and in ex- , actly what sections of "the country Easter lilies and other bulbous plants and delicate flowering shrubs may be grown to best advantage. Of late years the Bermuda lily bulbs have given the United States- florists trouble by reason of disease, which has caused great uncertainty as to result and general deterioration in the stock, a condition attributable, it is believed, to continuous planting in the snme spot. On account of this difficulty with the Illy from Bermuda this country’s trade has been transferred in large part to Japan, some of whose Islands now supply the larger part of the American trade in Enster lilies. Easter lilies are shipped into the larger cities of the East, such as New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, during the months of July and August. Etfch of those cities receive hundreds of thousands of bulbs annually and distribute them to the trade, the larger florists taking from leu thousand to fifteen thousand bulbs a season. The price of the bulbs is in the neighborhood of a hundred dollars a thousandThe florist loses no time in planting his precious freight in a temperature where only the root will start. To obtain perfectly healthy American stock from which to make its experiments in bull) culture in. this country the department of agriculture some years ago planted the seed of the lillum longlflorum,/which Is the botanical name of our familiar Easter lily. From this planting there resulted several pounds of seed, with which experiments were made in sections of Florida. Mississippi, the state of Washington, Texas and California. The result has been the production of stronger, healthier and handsomer Easter lilies than can be grown from import* ed bulbs. Federal experimentation proves that climatic and soil conditions in southern California are such as to favor the production of the finest Easter lilies In the world. - The department of agriculture is also expending its efforts upon other plants, whose bulbs and roots are imported each year at a cost of nearly three million dollars to supply the Easter trade. These include hyacinths, tulips and narcissi, with the decorative

azaleas, rhododendrons, lilacs and other blossoms, which are brought to the zenith of tlvelr glory at Eastertide. After a series of tests made by the department of agriculture in various states it has been found that tulips, narcissi and hyacinths can best be produced in this country In certain parts of the Pacific coast, these being northwest Washington and northwest California, and that there are areas In those states extensive enough to supply all the bulbs this country needs, with soil and climatic conditions even more favpfable for the culture of “Dutch bulbs” than the Haarlem bulb district of Holland. Said one of the scientists of the department of agriculture in a recent talk on the subject of bulb culture In America for the homo trade: "One of the main deterrent factors with those who contemplate entering the business in this country, where it seems probable they can produce a better article (linn the imported, is thnt of the extensive hand labor ns yet necessitated in bulb culture. The biggest job in this connection is digging. As the business expands, however, it is more than likely that the American farm Implement manufacturer will provide machinery to overcome this need, as he has in the past overcome every other obstacle In farm operation. Of late It Is reported that machinery Is coming into use even in Holland to a limited extent In bulb culture on account of the scarcity of labor due to war conditions.” , Whether due to the war, or to a knowledge of the tendency on the part of the United States to keep its bulb trade at home, n number of Holland and Belgium bulb and decorative plant growers have emigrated to the Pacific const and entered the business with a view to assisting in the American supply of Easter flowers. One grower of azaleas nnd nrnuenrlas who came from Ghent In Belgium is endeavoring to establish this business In California. He made the statement to the effect that he found conditions here superior to those in Belgium. One great advantage, he finds, is that plants hud here fully several weeks before they finish budding In Ghent, enabling them to be form* for the early American market. He states that America Imports annually between two and three millions of decorative pinnts. Including rhodf»dendrons. azaleas, hollies, boxwoods

and araucarias, all of which can be produced here In commercial quantities at a cost which will defy competition, provided the transcontinental railways will encourage the development of right rates, which will enable dealers to use the home-grown products. There is one widely used Easter flower, formerly imported from Holland, which has been thoroughly established in this country, having been brought to bloom in sufficient quantity to supply the entire demand. This is the freesia, prized by florists and people alike as a beautiful and fragrant Easter blossom. A talk with one of the horticultural experts of the department of agriculture resulted in some interesting facts concerning the feesia. “The plant Is a native of South Africa,” he said, “but had been commercially grown in. Holland up to about fifteen years ago, when It was found that it, could be produced here more satisfactorily than it could be Imported. We have produced strains larger and finer and very much belter fitted for our use than the original flower. It has been developed in Florida. to some extent in Georgia, but to the greatest extent in California, where it Is cultivated in great, sweetscented fields In Santa Ana, Santa Barbara. Pasadena and San Gabriel. These towns are the center of our home-grown freesia, now thoroughly Americanized and supplying our entire trade. “The original colors of the freesia were white, known ns ‘Purity,’ and a rather lurid yellow, but about fifteen years ago a few plants of a pale pinktinted species. knoWn as ‘Freesia armstrongii,’ were found In Natal, South Africa. It was a small, lilac pink flower, hut scentless. This species seems to be extremely rare In nature and It was eagerly seized upon by propagators In different parts of the world. “Italy. France. Holland, England and this country all procured specimens, nnd by hybridizing and intercrossing the seedlings a great range of beautiful colors have been produced. They run from cream to golden, yellow on one hand, and to pale pink and llgjhf crimson on the other, and even a blue has been developed. These varieties are still scarce, bat they are known to the trade, which has termed them ‘rainbow freeslas.’ They exhale a delicate apricot-like fragrance.