MAY 25, 1S99. 



The Weekly Florists' Review^ 



641 



Some of the Floral Designs at the iuneral ot,Ex-Gov. R. P. Flower, St. Thomas Church, 



New York City, May 15. 



quality of bloom, so much sought after 

 and so rarely found during times when 

 good prices could be realized for them. 

 The usual time allowed for H. P. 

 roses when growitig them for early 

 spring flowers, is 10 to 12 weeks. Vari- 

 eties of the H. T. class, such as La 

 France, Souv. de Pres. Carnot. Kaiser- 

 in Aug. Victoria, etc.. will not require 

 the full time limit, but can easily be 

 flowered in 8 to 10 weeks without un- 

 duly hurrying them. As these varie- 

 ties are very free summer bloomers, 

 they could be flowered for Easter, and 

 would be in with another crop for Me- 

 morial Day. To get these same varie- 

 ties (including American Beauty, 

 which some call a hybrid tea. but we 

 think should be classed with the H. 

 P.) into bloom for Christmas; secure 

 strong 3 or 4-inch plants: about June 

 15 plant them on shallow raised 

 benches in 3 or 4 inches of good rose 

 soil, and treat them just the same as 

 you will handle tea roses for winter 

 blooming. Keep all buds picked off 

 until about October 15; from this date 

 on let the buds come on, and you will 

 have a good crop of flowers for the 

 holidays, with every prospect of a 

 good supply during early January, 

 when they always command high 

 prices. After cutting the full crop of 

 flowers, let the temperature of the 

 house drop 6 to 8 degrees, allowing 

 the plants to break slowly. If the next 

 crop is wanted for Easter the plants 

 could be carried along in a tempera- 

 ture of 45 degrees at night and 50 or 

 55 degrees during the day until within 

 eight weeks of Easter, when the tem- 

 perature should be raised a few de- 

 grees until in about two weeks they 

 should be breaking freely and could 

 stand the regular night temperature 



of 55 degrees, with 10 or 15 degrees 

 higher during the day. It is needless 

 to say during their semi-dormant con- 

 dition they will not require much 

 watering; the object being to hold the 

 plant with all its foliage in good con- 

 dition ready to start into growth 

 whenever they may be wanted. 



After the Easter crop is cut the 

 plants can be kept growing right along 

 and will produce continuously all 

 through the summer, if desired. 



Whether it pays to devote one's time 

 and attention to growing crops for 

 the holidays, exclusively, is a matter 

 for every grower to decide for him- 

 self. The fact that stock is always 

 scarce during these times, and prices 

 reach their highest limit, would seem 

 to hold out a strong inducement for 

 devoting one's attention along these 

 lines. S. A. B. 



CARRYING IN SOIL. 



Mr. J. A. Budlong, the Chicago rose 

 grower, who has recently added three 

 new houses, each 22x300, at his place 

 in Bowmanville, has been experiment- 

 ing with methods of filling his rose 

 benches with soil. 



He made a movable track in sec- 

 tions, of very light T rails, which was 

 placed across the walk, the ties rest- 

 ing on the edge boards of the benches, 

 and had built a long narrow dump 

 car that would pass through the door 

 at the end of the house. The car 

 held about four wheelbarrows full 

 of soil. 



The original plan was to pick up 

 the soil with a horse scraper ana car- 

 rier, such as is used in road Inaking, 

 and carry it onto a platform from 

 which it could be dumped into the car. 



but this was abandoned as it was seen 

 that it injured the soil. 



The car was therefore loaded by four 

 men with shovels, the four pushing it 

 up the incline and into the house, 

 when one man could push it to the 

 proper place, dump the soil and return 

 the car. 



To get an accurate comparison of re- 

 sults he had a portion of a house filled 

 by men with wheelbarrows. He found 

 there was but little in favor of the car 

 as regards cost, and that what was 

 gained in one way was largely lost in 

 another, to say nothing of the- invest- 

 ment in the track and car, which was 

 about $100. He will use the outfit in 

 filling the remainder of his houses, 

 now he has the investment made, but 

 is convinced that there is no saving 

 through the use of such apparatus. 



HEW YORK. 



Market Conditions. 



If you happen to be near a ferry or 

 railroad depot any morning this time 

 of the year you will notice the pas- 

 sengers carrying great bunches of all 

 manner of blossoms to the city. This 

 of course greatly reduces the demand 

 for flowers at the florist's store, and 

 how can you blame the public? A 

 spray of lilac glistening with dew in 

 one's own garden is just as lovely to 

 them as the orchid in a city glass 

 case, and that same lilac seems never 

 to have been so abundant as it is this 

 year. Paeonies are coming in, and 

 there are mountains of narcissus and 

 outdoor valley in the market. 



The following are a few of the 

 prices prevailing, though quantity 

 buyers can name their own figures- 

 Maids, Brides and Meteors, specials 

 ?3 to $5, ordinaries 25 to 75 cents- 

 carnations, fancy $1 to $2; ordinaries 

 25 to 50 cents; Jacques $5 to $8; val- 

 ley (outdoor) 50 cents to $1.50; cat- 

 tleyas $30 to $40; narcissus 15 to 25 

 cents; lilac 15 to 25 cents; asparagus 

 40 to 50 cents; bunches 15 to 25 cents; 

 smilax $15 to $20; and so on. 



Plant growers are preparing for an 

 unprecedented Decoration Day busi- 

 ness, and if the weather keeps fine 

 the indications are they will not be 

 disappointed. The most of the plants 

 are retailed from the smaller stores 

 and peddlers' wagons. 



The Gardeners' Society. 



The New York Gardeners' Society 

 will hold their last meeting for the 

 season at Terrace Gardens, 59th St. 

 and 3rd Ave., Saturday, June 10. There 

 will be a strawberry show at this 

 meeting. For best 3 quarts, 3 varie- 

 ties, $3.00 and $2.00 are offered; best 

 2 quarts, 2 varieties, $2.00; and best 

 1 quart of Sharpless $2.00. There will 

 also be an interesting show of cut 

 flowers. 



The finest bowling alleys in the city- 

 are here and they have been engaged 

 for the night. The committee have 

 arranged for a friendly game and a 

 general good time. 



