AUGUST 30, liiOO. 



* 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



393 



F. W, Ude. Jr. 

 Emil Sctray. 



Max. Her/og. 

 Geo. Windier. 



C. A. Kuehn H. Emmons. 



E. W. Guy. J. F. Ammann. 



J. J. Beneke. 

 F. J. Filmore. 



Dr. Halstedt. 



A Group of St. Louis Florists. 



gaixlenlng, but depend upon their 

 greenliouses and conservatories for 

 pleasure during tiie long winter 

 months. The gardener must there- 

 fore conform to their requirements 

 and make the greenhouse always in- 

 teresting for the owners, who would 

 then be induced to visit them and 

 take pride and pleasure in showing 

 their friends through them. The best 

 way to accomplish this is to grow a 

 good collection of plants, a collection 

 that is as varied as possible, both 

 flowering and ornamental foliage. Let 

 flowering plants predominate, they 

 are always more useful and more ad- 

 mired. 



Aim to have as large and varied a 

 collection as possible, but. at the same 

 time make one species a special fea- 

 tuie, each in its own season. A good 

 collection of tubei'ous begonias will 

 keep the conservatory gay until the 

 chrysanthemums come into bloom; 

 then come poinsettias. cyclamen, cin- 

 erarias, bulbs of all sorts, until tlie 

 fancy pelargoniums, calceolarias and 

 gloxinias will carry you right into the 

 early summer. Study the habits of 

 your employers and endeavor to have 

 the conservatory in a presentable con- 

 dition when you expect them to visit 

 it. Whilst watering or using liquid 

 manure is not a good time. Keep all 

 flower pots and plants clean, and all 

 dirt and rubbish removed constantly. 



I Do not make the common mistake of 

 I crowding your plants, with the idea 

 that you will get more bloom. Grow 

 one good plant rather than three poor 

 ones. Try to have every plant in the 

 place, whether large or small, a per- 

 fect specimen. 



A few words in relation to private 

 gardeners and their mission in hor- 

 ticulture may not be out of place 

 here. Gardening in all its branches 

 is largely in its infancy in this coun- 

 try, but more especially in private 

 places. It is the mission of the pri- 

 vate gardener to improve such places 

 by making the one under his charge 

 so attractive that their neighbors will 

 be compelled to copy them to a cer- 

 tain extent. 



There is a great scope in our im- 

 mediate locality for a private gar- 

 dener. Fresh places are springing up 

 all around us. especially in the coun- 

 try places and along the river front, 

 and I venture to predict that a few- 

 years hence Montreal will be the floral 

 center of Canada. It therefore be- 

 hooves the gardener to look to his 

 laurels and keep up with the times, 

 and I know of no better way than by 

 keeping in continual touch with his 

 brother gardeners, either by visiting 

 them personally, when we may often 

 detect those faults which exist with 

 ourselves, but which, from having be- 

 come familiar to us. "we have not been 



able to see in the same light. I never 

 visit a gardener but I see something 

 grown better than 1 grow it. and I 

 come home with the intention of try- 

 ing that again anyhow. Taking and 

 reading the horticultural papers is a 

 good practice, and by joining the lo- 

 cal Gardeners' and Florists' Club, 

 which from personal experience I find 

 to be the best of all; not being con- 

 tent to be a member and pay your 

 dues each year, but by constant at- 

 tendance and taking an active part in 

 all their discussions. 



Keep up to the times in the matter 

 of new plants. Although some of 

 them are failures, you will be well re- 

 paid by growing the ones that are 

 improvements over existing varieties. 

 Attend the flower shows, as exhibitors 

 if possible. There is nothing edu- 

 cates the horticultural profession 

 more than friendly rivalry. We see 

 plants and flowers there in the best 

 possible condition, take note of all the 

 newer and better varieties, and even 

 if we are beaten, we go home with 

 the intention of having another try 

 for that cup. Note the improvement 

 in the chrysanthemum since exhibit- 

 ing them has been a feature. If any 

 one had predicted ten years ago that 

 we could grow chrysanthemum plants 

 four feet across, with a hundred or a 

 hundred and fifty good flowers on 

 them or single flowers 18 or 20 inches 



