436 



TheWeeHy Florists' Review. 



August 28, 1902 



similar to the carnation rust in appear- 

 ance, and appears on the foliage in the 

 shape of small brown spots which are 

 slightly raised above the surrounding sur- 

 face. The spots or pustules are tilled 

 with a brown powder which consists of 

 myriads of spores, and which, when scat- 

 tered by syringing or the wind, fall on 

 other leaves, and thus spread the disease. 

 Where the leaf is wet, the spores pierce 

 the skin immediately, and a new crop of 

 spores will be produced in a week. 



There was considerable talk a year or 

 two ago about this rust, but it has never 

 gained much headway, though I under- 

 stand it is still virulent in England. 



If H. F. will syringe his plants with a 

 solution of potassium sulphide used in 

 the proportion of one ounce in two gal- 

 lons of water, he will keep the rust from 

 spreading, and next year, if he propa- 

 gates only from plants that were not dis- 

 eased, he" will have no further trouble. 



In the spring, if young stock is 

 sprayed with the potassium solution, it 

 will kill off any spores that may have 

 wintered over. We had rust some years 

 ago and by following this treatment got 

 completely rid of it. 



As to what the rust comes from it is 

 a little hard to say. It is claimed that 

 the disease is common on many wild com- 

 posite plants, and it may have been ear- 



VIOLET NOTES, 



Writing notes for tlie Keview some- 

 times elicits notes from growers that are 

 both pathetic and hunuirous. 1 am 

 tempted to say a little that is not exact- 

 ly "cultural d'irections" which is brought 

 cut by the following, quoted from the 

 letter of a Southern grower, received a 

 few days ago: "Violets around here are 

 generally looking badly, and of recent 

 years we have gotten poor prices, owing, 

 i think, to each grower selling for him- 

 self. I hear that you people in the North 

 get good prices, scarcely ever less than 

 $1 per 100. Ours get as low sometimes 

 as 10 cents per 100, and scarcely ever as 

 high as $1. Won't you tell me how you 

 keep up prices; isn't it by unity of action 

 on the part of growers? Washington is 

 mostly our market, and our produce is 

 pronounced particularly fine. I have 

 tried shipping to New York. I sent to 

 one tlorist there and he wrote me that he 

 could not get anything for violets, and as 

 I knew it was horse show week, I thought 

 it strange. My brother was exhibiting 

 some horses there, and went around to 

 the same florist and he was retailing my 

 flowers at $6 per 100, and I did not get 

 a cent for about 3000 sent him. This has 

 been my experience (in other houses 

 there) or the equivalent." 



Now, this party has my sympathy, and 



Part of the Exhibit of M. Rice & Co. at the Asheville Convention. 



ried over in that way, appearing on the 

 chrysanthemums when conditions were 

 favorable for its development, or your 

 correspondent may have brought in some 

 young plants that were diseased. 



One thing is certain — wet weather is 

 the favorable time for the rapid increase 

 of the disease, for 1 have seen it spread 

 all through a batch of plants growing 

 outside in a single week when we have 

 had continuous rains. 



Syringe your plants as little as possi- 

 ble and run them a little on the dry side 

 at the roots, and particularly so when the 

 weather is wet and sunless. 



This treatment, with the use of the 

 potassium properly applied — that is, 

 spray both sides of the leaves— will keep 

 the rust from spreading, and another 

 year H. F. can rid himself completely of 

 the trouble. Brian Boru. 



I am sorry that he has had such hard 

 luck; still I would not believe that all 

 florists and commission men in New York 

 are like this man ; in fact, I know they 

 are not all this kind. But the point 1 

 wanted to make is this, that the grower 

 must not lay everj-thing at the city man's 

 door. We growers expect almost every- 

 tliing of him, but I think there are some 

 things that we should consider if we wish 

 him to make us good returns, and the 

 first is that we should find a man that 

 we are sure is reliable and then make ar- 

 rangements with him before the season 

 commences for whatever we have to send 

 to him, so that he will know about what 

 to depend on, as in this way he should be 

 able to get us better prices than when we 

 send a large shipment one day and then 

 hold off an indefinite time for the next. 

 Of course, there are times when a grower 



has to make some special shipments, but 

 if he has ordinary weather and under- 

 stands his business, and how it usually 

 runs, he ought to avoid these as a general 

 thing, although it cannot always be done. 

 Then the commission man ought to do 

 better in prices by the regular shipper 

 than the occasional shipper, selling the 

 former's stock first if there is more than 

 enough to go around, unless it is not up 

 to standard. He must of necessity sell 

 the best in order to hold his customers, 

 if there is much difference in quality. 



Like all growers, I have had mj ex- 

 periences at different times. One that 

 comes to mind at present is a case of 

 claims for violets that the consignee 

 claimed were frozen. Now, I am as cer- 

 tain to-day that they were not frozen as 

 I am that I am writing this, one good 

 reason being that I had another ship- 

 ment, packed by the same man, sent on 

 same train, delivered by same wagon, to 

 a party further down town than this, and 

 it was all right. Now, it does not stand 

 to reason, all these conditions being the 

 same, that the box which was delivered 

 first should be frozen and not the other. 

 I always thought, though 1 could not 

 prove it, that one of the boys in the 

 store wanted those violets himself, and so 

 said they were frozen, as I know that he 

 unpacked them. 



Again for the commission man, I think 

 that when you have looked about and 

 found a good commission man it is much 

 better for both parties if you stick to 

 him; you get to know what to expect of- 

 each other, and it should be to your 

 mutual advantage. E. E. Shuphelt. 



CANADIAN HORTICULTURAL 

 CONVENTION. 



The first session will be held in the 

 Hamilton city hall at 2:30 p. m,, Wed- 

 nesday, Sept. 3rd, when Mayor Hendrie 

 will welcome the association and give 

 it the freedom of the city, and after the 

 response President Joseph Bennett, 

 of Montreal, will give his address. Mr. 

 Bennett is well known as one of Can- 

 ada's most forward men in the florist 

 business, a versatile speaker and a prac- 

 tical man in every sense of the word. 

 His address may be looked forward to 

 us a masterpiece of eloquence and prac- 

 tical value. 



The association headquarters will be 

 at the Waldorf hotel. Members of the 

 local committee will meet all trains and 

 supply delegates with badges, and any 

 information wanted. Delegates arriving 

 before noon should go direct to the Exhi- 

 bition hall, corner Park and Eobinson 

 streets. 



The trade exhibit will be one grand 

 feature of the convention. Already over 

 four thousand square feet has been ap- 

 plied for, and it will att'ord delegates an 

 opportunity of comparing stock; and to 

 those building, or contemplating doing 

 so, the exhibit of heating and building 

 material will be of much interest, as will 

 the display of florists' supplies, flower- 

 pots, wire designs, and various other ac- 

 cessories, be to the general florists. 



The city of Hamilton has its own pe- 

 culiar beauty, situated as it is at the 

 foot of the mountain, and almost sur- 

 rounded by the Burlington bay. Its 

 shaded streets are cool and refreshing; 

 its parks are natural and of a large area. 

 From the mountain top, where the Insane 

 asylum is situated, the scene is one of 

 picturesque beauty. The landscape from 

 that eminence is one not soon forgotten. 



