JULY 27, 1899. 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



193 



Dracaena Massangeana. 



agreeable. Then get some tips of gol- 

 den philadelphus or elder and use 

 them as above for scarlet or crimson 

 cannas. These arrangements are used 

 only when we wish to create pleasing 

 items here and there in large decora- 

 tions. The best way to use these flow- 

 ers is to put them in water. There 

 can be nothing finer on the table nor 

 in any part of the house than a vase 

 of canna blooms; this is particularly 

 the case in summer homes where the 

 bright and sunshiny tone of every- 

 thing requires richness and brilliancy 

 in flowers. 



We are often compelled to smile at 

 the general estimation the public has 

 of the florist, and indeed that the flo- 

 rists have of themselves. It seems to 

 be the settled opinion that no taste, 

 no knowledge of beauty nor art is 

 required to be a florist. Well, it is 

 quite true that many are satisfied to 

 wrap loose flowers up and will never 

 be able to accomplish much more. 

 And then again the present tendency 

 of the majority is to dispense with 

 everything requiring technical knowl- 

 edge, because that is a scarce article 

 and very hard to acquire. The aver- 

 age florist is a better copyist or imi- 

 tator than originator, and there are 

 many employers who would rather 

 scoff and deride than pay the good 

 artist. 



Of course there are exceptions, and 

 the day is soon to be here when the 

 exception will win and rule. The 

 beauties of our trade will yet be fully 

 recognized, and a still higher knowl- 

 edge will be exacted from decorators. 

 Often we have gone into palaces and 

 witnessed some cheap, ignorant florist 



desecrate some gem with a rough gar- 

 land of laurel or a bunch of terrible 

 flowers. Just imagine gladiolus and 

 sunflowers against a Rembrandt or a 

 Meissonier; some priceless picture is 

 often made a background for a vase 

 of flowers, which spoils the effect, nay 

 degrades, the work of art. The real 

 artist will never disfigure the work 

 of another. Beauty appeals to his 

 thoughts, and if he cannot enhance, he 

 will not destroy. 



Here, for instance, there is hanging 

 a very delicate and refined water 

 color. Anything coarse would never 

 do near it. That spike of light blue 

 delphinium, a few poppies or nastur- 

 tiums will be better, and arrange 

 them at one side and underneath. 



There's a picture of roses; put some 

 near it, just the same color as the 

 painted ones, and let them fall grace- 

 fully. Don't put white flowers near 

 a sad picture, a little green is best. 

 The only way to decorate in a gallery 

 or studio is to put your flowers in 

 vases on tables. Don't indulge in for- 

 mal monstrosities. A few fine palms 

 or ferns, some delicate and natural 

 vines and cut flowers in either glass 

 or old-fashioned and soft-hued vases 

 are the only materials permissible 

 where valuable works of art are dis- 

 played. IVERA. 



CHRYSANTHEMUM NOTES. 



Feeding. 



Feeding is a matter about which 

 everyone must judge for themselves, 

 being guided by the condition of the 

 plants, quantity of manure in the soil 



when the plants were benched, and 

 many other points about which the 

 outsider knows nothing. As long as 

 the plants are making good, sound 

 wood and healthy foliage, we always 

 say, don't feed. Plants will always 

 show to the observant cultivator when 

 they need feeding and then and not 

 till then is the time to apply it. 



In the case of plants that were 

 benched in May, and some of the pot 

 plants that are well rooted, a weak 

 liquid of cow or sheep manure will be 

 beneficial. Once a week is often enough 

 to start with and don't get it strong 

 by any means. There is lots of time 

 to increase the strength between now 

 and next October. If any plants are 

 starved and getting stunted, nitrate of 

 soda applied at the rate of a pound to 

 fifty gallons of water will soon start 

 them moving. We dissolve two 

 pounds in a fifty gallon barrel of 

 water and then apply with the Kinney 

 pump which dilutes it to the proper 

 strength and, by the way, this little 

 pump is one of the greatest things for 

 "taking up the white man's burden" 

 that I ever came across. Applying 

 liquid with a can is far too slow for 

 present day requirements, yet many a 

 hard-working florist still does it. 



Of course the best scheme of all for 

 getting a supply of liquid is to have a 

 tank built up above the houses, so that 

 the liquid can run down and distribute 

 itself naturally through the pipes, but 

 unless the houses are built on a hill- 

 side this is expensive. A tank under 

 the bench, or even barrels, answers 

 just as well for the Kinney pump, only 

 you need one portion screened off, so 

 that the manure will not clog the 

 pump. I am not writing a free adver- 

 tisement, but just simply describing 

 an invention that has saved me and 

 many another florist a sight of hard 

 work. If the benches are shallow, and 

 so full of roots that they dry out 

 quickly, the best plan would be to give 

 the bed a sprinkle of bone dust and 

 then top dress with an inch of cow 

 manure. This will retain the moisture 

 and in a week the roots will be found 

 running all through it. Wherever the 

 feed is the roots will go to find it. We 

 used to mulch with tobacco stems, and 

 they can be recommended for this pur- 

 pose. They have some fertilizing 

 value and also keep down the black- 

 fly. 



Specimens. 



Specimens should not be stopped 

 again now, if the best results are 

 looked for. If they are in pots and 

 well rooted a good top dressing will 

 start them away vigorously. Put in a 

 few stakes and tie up the main shoots 

 to keep them from splitting off. Don't 

 crowd them if you are looking for 

 shapely plants. BRIAN BORU. 



TRENTON, N. J— Carl E. Taube has 

 purchased the establishment of the 

 Mercer Floral Co. and will devote the 

 whole 40,000 feet of glass to the grow- 

 ing of cut flowers. 



