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The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



OCTOBER e, 



It is a North American plant and one 

 of the best of our hardy so-called 

 vines. 



Nympbaea dentata. Presuming that 

 this fine species has been growing this 

 surnmer in tubs, it can after the first 



frost be removed to a cool cellar or 

 shed where there is no danger of the 

 soil freezing. They will rest for 

 months without water. Do not replace 

 in pond until water is warmed by the 

 spring suns. W. S. 



Plants for the Store. 



Stocking the store with plants is a 

 very important task for every retail 

 florist, and now is the time for it. 

 It may be some time before we can 

 sell many of the plants, still people 

 are getting back from the country and 

 are beginning to look around for 

 these interesting features of home 

 decoration, and it is well to have a 

 variety on hand, for apart from being 

 ready for customers we need them to 

 furnish the store. 



There are several little things we 

 should insist on the growers doing, 

 one is to have all pots and plantj 

 washed clean before shipping, and to 

 see to it that there is room enough 

 left on top of the pots to water the 

 plants. Many plants are plunged out 

 in summer; they are lifted and 

 shipped off with soil level to the brim, 

 and sold to customers in that condi- 

 tion. The consequence is that the 

 plants cannot be watered sufficiently, 

 or that carpet or furnishings are 

 ruined. Every plant intended for 

 store or house culture should have 

 from one-half to one inch of space 

 left on top of the pot to allow for 

 thorough watering. Every store 

 should have a good supply of papier- 

 mache saucers, and some block tin or 

 zinc pans for large pots and tubs; 

 they will enable you to water your 

 plants without flooding the floor. 



Now about pot covers. We all know 

 it is diflicult to water plants when 

 they are in the ordinary pot baskets, 

 still we must have them for effect. A 

 better cover Is obtainable; it is made 

 in the shape of a basket, but has no 

 bottom. Is detached at one side and 

 can be placed around any pot. These 

 covers can be removed and the water 

 sponged out of the saucers without 

 moving the plant. 



About the class of plants we should 



have, it all depends on our class of 

 trade and the facilities at our disposal; 

 hundreds of us have no greenhouse, 

 our stores are lighted with gas and we 

 cannot consider any but the very 

 hardiest, such as ficus, kentias, aspi- 

 distras and latanias. Many have 

 greenhouses and can carry a large as- 

 sortment. To all we would say, don't 

 have anything around that is not sal- 

 able — poorly grown or disabled plants 

 should never be kept around the store. 



We believe every plant sold should 

 be properly named. It adds to the 

 value of a plant if the customer sees 

 the name on it, and more so if its 

 nativity is also specified. We are all 

 familiar with the absurd yarns told 

 to customers about plants and flowers 

 of which the names were forgotten, 

 or more likely never known, but there 

 is no excuse for ignorance in these 

 days. Label your plants and familiar- 

 ize yourself with their history and be 

 able to talk intelligently to your cus- 

 tomers and you are sure to sell more. 



Now variety is not only the spice 

 of life but to the florist it is a cre- 

 ator of trade; therefore we should al- 

 ways have variety around us. Plants 

 are cheaper and are better grown 

 now than they ever were, but we 

 should not be satisfied with this, we 

 must look for good things and push 

 them forward, or in other words, get 

 our customers accustomed to some- 

 thing besides the old half dozen kinds 

 of plants they see everywhere. 



The Boston fern is one of the best 

 decorative plants introduced in many 

 years; aon't be afraid to have a good 

 big pan of It. It is a grand plant 

 for any form of house decorations. 

 Branching ficus will be in demand this 

 season, and If you cannot get then 

 try two or three plants in a pot. 

 Livistona rotundifolia should be bet- 

 ter known, it's a beauty. Cocos Wed- 



deliana, intended for pot culture, 

 should have three or four in a pot; 

 they are too skimpy as Individual 

 plants. Put the tallest in the center 

 and fill out the bottom with small 

 ones. 



V/hile we are on this point we can- 

 not too strongly condemn the absurd 

 combinations of plants many promi- 

 nent growers are putting on the mar- 

 ket. Many plants are put together in 

 pots which require different treat- 

 ment, but apart from this the potting 

 shed artists have gone far astray in 

 search of harmony or beauty of ar- 

 rangements. Made-up plants are cer- 

 tainly very desirable, for they give 

 Immediate effects, but let us be artis- 

 tic in what we do, and we cannot do 

 better than have our made-up plants 

 constructed of one variety. There's 

 lots of room to be truly original in 

 other and more profitable ways. 



Of course the quality of kentias, are- 

 cas and latanias and such plants is 

 too well known to be continually 

 dwelt on. It is our aim to write of 

 others. The phoenix Is a good plant 

 for dark corners, and rhapis is fine 

 for pillar effects, or where a spreading 

 plant is not wanted. Adiantum Far- 

 leyense will be more used than ever, 

 and it deserves to be; it Is grand any 

 place you put it — in the window or 

 best of all on the table with orchids 

 or by Itself. Adiantum gracillimum 

 should be seen in town oftener; it 

 should be the closest associate with 

 the term "maiden-hair fern." Bril- 

 liantly colored crotons are fine for 

 windows and make up well with other 

 plants, in boxes or vases. They are 

 also good for chrysanthemum baskets 

 or table decorations. Davallioides 

 furcans and Microlepia hirta cristata 

 are two grand ferns for the store. 



Selaginellas — emiliana and arborea 

 — are good plants and the latter par- 

 ticularly should be grown more than 

 it is and the retailer should know it 

 better. Lomaria gibba well grown 

 makes a very pretty vase plant. 



Asparagus Sprengerii is going to be 

 "all the go" this winter. Many are 

 growing it in hanging baskets and in 

 this manner it will be mostly used. 

 It will appear at every large decora- 

 tion of this season. Large specimens of 

 Pteris tremula are splendid material 

 for decorations, but we seldom see 

 them any size. Fancy caladiums are 

 justly coming to the front. Some of 

 the newer ones are very grand. 



Curiosity does a good deal some- 

 times and it is advisable to have some 

 plant curiosity in front of the store. 

 An orchid on a block, a bromeliad, a 

 well pitchered nepenthes, or some pe- 

 culiar plant that will attract people, 

 and mind you, there is enough inter- 

 esting lore attached to the history of 

 such plants to fascinate a great many. 

 Plants indigenous to Cuba, Porto 

 Rico and the Philippine Islands may 

 be sold quickly and to advantage if 



