128 



The Weekly Florists' Review, 



December 10, 1903. 



DENVER, COLO. 



Trade Notes of Interest. 



Oitobor wcallior iu Uooembor has a 

 teudeucy to hurt tho floral trade, ospo- 

 eially iu the init flower departmeut, ami 

 consequently business in tliat line has 

 been rather (|uiet in Denver for the past 

 few weeks, but notwithstanding these 

 conditions everybody is busy getting 

 reiuly for Christmas. Up to quite re- 

 cently the cut flower market has been 

 overstocked, but the commission house 

 has been tho means of getting a lot of 

 sur^ilus stock moved out of the city, 

 which would otherwise have been thrown 

 away. Mr. Waterbury's enterprise is 

 yet "in its infancy, and time alone will 

 "demonstrate tho necessity of such an es- 

 tablishment iu the Rocky mountain re- 

 gion, but if a comprehensive and impar- 

 tial attention to the interests of the va- 

 rious growers is all that is required he 

 will make it pay. 



The plant trade is becoming an ex- 

 tensive feature in the retail stores and 

 good stock is always in demand at paying 

 prices. Just now cyclamens are taking 

 the lead and those from the Park Floral 

 Company greenhouses are certainly tin". 

 Mr. Sked, who is foreman at this estab- 

 lishment, has given the hybridization of 

 this valuable w-inter flowering plant close 

 attention for many years, and is now- 

 producing many new shades, as well as 

 some very large semi-double varieties. 

 It is astonishing what results can be ob- 

 tained from close attention to the cul- 

 ture of this plant. Some of the plants 

 grown at this establishment I have know n 

 to carry 100 flowers at one time, and 

 some of them have sold as high as $'.i 

 at Christmas. Plants now in the green- 

 house twelve to fifteen months old are 

 now retailing at $2 each. Lorraines and 

 poinsettias are also in a high state of 

 perfection at this establishment and pre- 

 liminary sales have demonstrated their 

 unceasing popularity. 



The Colfax Avenue Floral Company is 

 well represented in plants, especially tho 

 cyclamens, which are fine specimens, only 

 of the old fashion types. 



The Scott Floral Co. hung up its shingle 

 in a large storeroom in the Masonic Tem- 

 ple last week. Phil's big window of 

 twenty feet was quite attractive with 

 poinsettias. backed up with an eight font 

 wreath of gaJax, the whole artisticallv 

 associated with palms, ferns and south- 

 ern smilax. 



Kmil Glauber, of Montclair, is stocking 

 up the retailers with a fine lot of plu- 

 mosus. Being anxious to learn how lie 

 produced such fine stock, I visited his 

 greenhouse recently and found other 

 things of greater interest to the frater- 

 nity. His plumosus are grown under latli 

 screens during summer and removed into 

 a cool house before frost, where thc- 

 are thoroughly hardened. They are 

 mostly in 5-inch and represent at retail 

 from'$l to $1.50 each, and sell readilv. 

 Mr. Cvlauber has been the only exten- 

 sive grower of the Chatenay rose in the 

 locality and this year he is more .iubilant 

 than ever over "his success, as he has 

 certainlv surpassed all his previous ef- 

 forts "He has three houses in the most 

 perfect state of health and all coming in 

 for Christmas. He informs me that he 

 cuts fif tv per cent more good flowers from 

 this variety than he does from any other, 

 and gets a" better price than for any other 

 tea and ther have proven a more healthv 

 and freer grower than other teas. This 



point is worthy of consideration. He is 

 now ready for potting 10,000 two-eyed 

 cuttings. A peculiarity of this rose is 

 that the select blooms, which come from 

 the strong bottom breaks, lack the color 

 and durability of the other grades. Can 

 anv of your readers explain this? I al.5c) 

 saw at this place a fine lot of 'mums for 

 t^hristmas. Among them the old favorite 

 Minnie Wanauiaker. which Mr. Glauber 

 savs he will not give up for many of 

 the later introductions. He also has a 

 fine lot of Maud Dean. Yellow Eaton an<l 

 White Bonnoffon. This variety is very 

 well done so far, and will be perfect for 

 holiday trade. This mum is a winner 

 when well done, as pearly and white as 

 Ivorv and as large as its relative, the 

 Major, and a splendid keeper, either cut 

 or on the plant. 



The Park Floral Company took down 

 its sign, on December 5, from where it 

 has been so many years, and where the 

 best floral trade "has been done in Den- 

 ver at any time of its history. Their 

 new store "on Broadway is a jewel, set as 

 it were, in a circle of modern construction 

 and the first of its character ever at- 

 tempted in this part of the west. A 

 few vears ago. when the Mauffs built 

 their "marble palace in connection with 

 their greenhouses on Capital Hill, we 

 thought they were getting away ahead 

 of the times", but time has proven differ- 

 ent, and their attractive exterior has 

 tempted many to view the interior. But 

 for modern equipment and adaptabilitv 

 to everv-day use, I think the lead must 

 be giveii to the newer establishment. The 

 window is redecorated each day. The 

 evening decoration to catch the eye of the 

 theater goers and others who live in and 

 frequent tho large hostelries adjacent (o 

 the store. E. Gillis, a young and aspiring 

 artist, is in charge here and is given 

 every encouragement to display and de- 

 velop his taste in window and other dec- 

 orations. 



Benson 's Enchantress are the sensation 

 of the season. There is no trouble selling 

 them at a profitable price ; none less than 

 $1.50 per dozen. He plants his stock on 

 the benches earlv in the summer, pre- 

 ferring to cut good flowers in October 

 than poor ones from old stock m June 

 and July, as he thinks this system of 

 growing stock at a fancy price m fall ana 

 winter overbalances the loss of throwing 

 Ewav poor stock in summer, which has 

 paid for itself the previous winter. 



Christmas material is beginning to ar- 

 rive and, as usual, becomes a nuisance 

 to the legitimate florist, who has other 

 branches to attend to. This branch of 

 the trade is getting out of the hands ot 

 the florists out here, and the street ped- 

 dler is selling it for one-half less than 

 such material brought ten years ago. 



A new aspirant in the Christmas branch 

 of the business has put in its appearance 

 here quite recently, known as the Califor- 

 nia pepper, and I think it will hold its 

 own with many of the other materials 

 on the market. It has a graceful, droop- 

 ing habit, clean, healthy foliage and 

 glossy carmine red berries, retains its 

 freshness a long time and is apparently a 

 good shipper. Gbeat Divide. 



Vegetable Forcing. 



SiLVERDALE, Pa. — William Allabough's 

 greenhouse is in veiy good condition at 

 present. His chief product during tho 

 winter is tomatoes. 



Chicago, III.— Peter Bright has built 

 four large greenhouses iu the trucking 

 neighborhood at Rogers Park and has a 

 nice crop of lettuce. 



Lawrence Beckek, north of Chicago, 

 w ho last year had his place in carnations, 

 has all the twelve houses in lettuce this 

 seascm and says he is doing very well in- 

 deed. 



Chicago, December 9. — Cucumbers, 

 50c to $1.50. Cauliflower, $1 to $2.25 

 per barrel. Egg plant, $2 to $2.23 box. 

 Head lettuce, $4 to $8 barrel. Leaf let- 

 tuce, 30e to 35c ease. Mushrooms, 15c 

 to 40c pound. Radishes, 20e to 50c dozen 

 bunches. 



Knoxville, Tenn. — Chas. L. Baum 

 has just finished two rose houses, 24x110. 

 He reports business very good. 



I CONSIDER the Review the best dol- 

 lar's worth extant.— A. W. Warren, 

 Jerseyville, HI. 



LETTUCE LEAF ROT. 



Enclosed you will find a sample of dis- 

 eased lettuce. I would like to know the 

 cause and remedy, if any, for the trouble 

 is spreading. A. J. S. 



The disea.se aifecting the sample of let- 

 tuce sent is a very common one. It is 

 of the fungous order, the name usually 

 applied being leaf rot. As a rule the 

 disease seldom attacks the plants until 

 nearing maturity, i. e.. after the hearts 

 are pretty well "formed. But, from the 

 early stage at which it has struck the 

 sample sent, it would appear that the 

 conditions under which it was grown 

 must have been admirably adapted to 

 the development of the disease. 



The conditions under which it would 

 best develop are a soil containing an 

 abundance of humus, and more or less 

 sour, through careless watering, and a, 

 close and humid atmosphere. To avoid 

 these conditions as much as possible 

 fresh manure should not be used in the 

 soil and what manure is used should be 

 well incorporated with the soil. SteriEz- 

 ing the soil has been found advantageous 

 in fighting this disease, but this cannot 

 always be conveniently done. A good 

 freezing will come pretty near accomplish- 

 ing the same end. Air must be given on 

 all possible occasions. The fact that tbe 

 lettuce is being grown under artificial 

 conditions should impress upon the culti- 

 vator the necessity of trying to supply 

 the natural conditions as far as possible. 

 I have never seen an instance of this 

 disease on plants grown in the open air. 

 A close and humid atmosphere is not 

 only apt to develop fungous diseases, but 

 is sure to promote soft growth. This 

 proves that judicious airing vrill not only 

 keep the disease in check, but will build 

 up the tissues of the plants and enable 

 them to resist the disease. Soft growth 

 would also result if too high a tempera- 

 ture were kept up. 



The lowering of the temperature in 

 tliis ease would help to check the dis- 

 ease. A night temperature of from 35 

 to 40 degrees, with a rise of from 15 to 

 20 degrees by day, would promote firm 

 growth and help " eliminate the trouble. 

 Watering should be done on bright days 

 only, and done in the morning so as to 

 get the house well dried up before closing 

 time. There is also a good deal in the 



