NOVEMBER 17, 1S9S. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review^ 



639 



few small tips of ivy. Ferns wither 

 too quickly, smilax is apt to smell, 

 and asparagus is too stiff. Violets are 

 best by themselves, and should be very 

 carefully handled; keep them air tight 

 in a sweet box. Violet-colored lace 

 handkerchiefs are used to wrap round 

 the stems, and loosely encircle the 

 flowers; they give a pretty effect. 

 These cost about $1.25 per dozen. Vio- 

 let Japanese paper napkins are also 

 used to put in the box, and cost 20 

 cents per 100. 



Lily of the valley is another popular 

 flower for Thanksgiving favors, and 

 be sure you rebunch it, and take off 

 the dirty stems, tie it with a bit of No. 

 1 white ribbon. Use valley whenever 

 possible, with Meteors they are a good 

 combination. 



Another lovely little flower, and one 

 we like to use at all times, is the Star 

 Jasmine (Jasminum gracillimum). 

 Put a spray in any box of cut flowers, 

 particularly with red roses, and it will 

 captivate anyone. Swainsona galegi- 

 folia alba is another good flower, a 

 few sprays or a bunch of it is permis- 

 sible with anything, and it keeps well, 

 too. 



Some one may want a dinner with 

 the National colors in flowers. This 

 will be difficult to do just now, be- 

 cause blue flowers are scarce. Deep 

 colored Vanda caerulea, lily of the val- 

 ley, and anthuriums, or Meteor roses, 

 are the best you can do. Oncidiums 

 are in, and they make a very light and 

 graceful decoration; try them with 

 A. Farleyense. IVERA. 



THE CULTIVATION OF FLOWER- 

 ING BULBS. 



This subject is certainly nothing 

 new to European bulb-growers, but 

 entirely new and uncertain to growers 

 in this country, on account of the lack 

 of experience and trial, to try and And 

 the right way of doing it, the right 

 soil, the right location, and the right 

 temperature. When once these are 

 found in this extensive country of ours 

 — in which there is a greater variety of 

 land than in any other — we will be 

 able, not only to keep our money at 

 home, but to supply other countries 

 with our products. Certainly under- 

 takings of this kind take patience, 

 time and capital, of which some peo- 

 ple have plenty, and would gladly in- 

 vest the same if they only knew how 

 to go about it. 



The soil should be rich and sandy, 

 or nearly so, for easy working, easy 

 for water to drain, easier to force and 

 to ripen the bulbs better, also to give 

 a healthier and fine appearance to 

 bulbs when put on the market. Fur- 

 thermore, the land should be situated 

 so as to be almost level, and can be 

 sub-irrigated by canals and .litehes, 

 through which the water is supplied, 

 and kept at all times in reach of the 

 roots of the growing bulbs, at a dis- 



tance of 500 feet or more, with small- 

 er ones crossing these. 



The principal and main point is to 

 keep the water as much as possible on 

 a level at all times of their growth, 

 which will prevent them from being 

 cheeked for the want of moisture. This 

 is the reason why they cannot be 

 grown successfully everywhere, as the 

 necessary moisture is not on hand in 

 times of need, and land should be no 

 less than three feet and no more than 

 six feet above the water ltj.vel. 



The climate for all sorts of Dutch 

 bulbs should be a moderate tempera- 

 ture; not too warm in winter, nor too 

 hot in summer, would suit rhem best. 

 Bulbs when planted in the tall, in the 

 fields, can stand quite cold weather, 

 after taking root, properly covered 

 with some kind of litter to keep he 

 sun off, but after their winter nap, 

 they don't like to be checked by high, 

 raw winds in the early spring. There- 

 fore, hedges for wind brealvs are ad- 

 visable, and if neatly trimnitd, will be 

 ornamental, and will also keep .he 

 cold winds from sweepiug the fields 

 and injuring the tender growth. 



After foliage once starts to develop, 

 covering must not be removed too 

 early, for a late frost will injure and 

 check their growth. Bulbs produce but 

 one crop of leaves, and if badly in- 

 jured, will ruin the crop entirely. 



The land is generally trenched to a 

 depth of three or four feet, and heav- 

 ily manured, and to absorb supernuous 

 strength is planted with potatoes. 

 After harvesting, hyacinths of all 

 kinds are grown on such soil. Uilips, 

 as a rule, the second year, and cro- 

 cuses the third year. 



Daffodils, double and single, and 

 narcissus and even spiraeas like a 

 rich, heavier and lower situated piece 

 of ground, well moistened: whereas, 

 lilies, gladiolus, crown imperials, iily 

 of the valley, ixias, ranunculus and 

 scillas will do better on higher situa- 

 tions. 



The main question of growing bulbs 

 in this country is wages. Compared 

 with Europe, our bulbs would cost 50 

 per cent, more if found to be grown 

 here just as good and In the rame 

 length of time as in Europe, and to 

 profit at all, a high duty must be 

 levied. 



Roman hyacinth, narcissus, paper- 

 white, freezias, etc., or French bulbs, 

 are generally grown on the Coot of 

 mountains, in a clay-like soil, which 

 will retain the moisture longer. These 

 need a warmer climate altogether; 

 they can stand but, a few degrees of 

 frost but can better endure the heat. 



BOSTON. 



Review of the Market. 

 It has come to be a well known 

 fact that the week known as; "Show 

 week" is always the extreme of a dull 

 flower market, and this week has not 

 proved to be an exception to the gen- 

 eral rule. Dull is no name for it, 



everything is dull, and to make sales 

 this week, it has been a case of "get 

 what you can." 



Chrysanthemums might now be 

 termed to be at the height of the sea- 

 son, and a look into the cooperative 

 market, about 7:30 any morning, 

 would convince anyone that there was 

 no scarcity of stock. Ivory and Min- 

 nie Wannamaker are the leading white 

 varieties, ranging from 35 cents to $1 

 per dozen. Bonnaffon, as usual, is 

 the leader among yellows, ranging 

 from 75 cents to $1.50 per dozen. Mrs. 

 Perriu, pink, is very well thought of, 

 averaging from $1 to $2 per dozen, 

 with lots of odd varieties, running 

 from 50 cents to $2. 



Roses have been a dead letter all 

 the week, and sales have been made at 

 sacrificial prices. Asking prices are 

 as follows: Brides, Maids and Kaiser- 

 1ns, from $2 to $6 per 100; Carnots 

 average $1 per dozen. Call light for 

 Meteors, run from $-4 to $6, while 

 Beauties run all the way from 50 cents 

 to $2.50 per dozen, but demand is 

 light, with the supply of exceptionally 

 fine stock, very much in excess. 



Carnations are plenty, with condi- 

 tions a little better than with roses. 

 Whites, of all kinds, Scotts, Daybreaks 

 and Mangold, run anywhere from 50 

 cents to $1.50 jjer hundred, and it 

 takes an elegant pink to bring the 

 outside price. Bradts, Eldorados, etc., 

 run from $2 to $4 per 100. Violets are 

 not yet up to record for quality, and 

 average 50 cents foi" Campbells and 75 

 for some good Galles. Valley still $4, 

 with quite a lot of tuberoses, and can- 

 dytuft, selling at 50 cents per dozen 

 stalks for the tubes, and 25 cents a 

 bunch for candytuft. 



News Items. 



John Clark, for many years sales- 

 man with Joseph Breck & Sons, has 

 taken a similar position with Thomas 

 J. Grey & Co., and will still be seen 

 around with his horticultural friends. 



The sale of Julius Roehrs & Co.'s 

 palms, which was held under the aus- 

 pices of N. F. McCarthy & Co., was 

 a decided success; everything sold, 

 and at good average wholesale prices. 

 The trade, from Boston and vicinity, 

 were very much in eviilpnce. 



Mr. W. H. Elliott, of Brighton, has 

 secured a lot of over three acres of 

 land, adjoining his place at Oak 

 Square, and has already begun to put 

 up two new houses, each to be 400 feet 

 long, and to be devoted to the grow- 

 ing of budded roses. The location is 

 fine, and closely adjoins the site of 

 one of Boston's proposed boulevards. 



Among the visitors, this week, Mr. 

 E. G. Asmus, of Hoboken, N. J., and 

 his new rose Liberty, were the attrac- 

 tion. 



The Mum show, and McCarthy's 

 sale, brought Messrs. Dunholm and 

 McKay from Worcester, John Mc- 

 Manus from Brunswick, Me., with 

 several private gardeners from Lenox 

 and other places. 



