276 



The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



Deckmber 31. 1903. 



Vegetable Forcing. 



STRING BEANS. 



This crop is more often grown by tlie 

 private gardener than by the commer- 

 cial man and I am somewhat doubtful if 

 the latter can make it a paying crop 

 for forcing in winter, as it is hard to ob- 

 tain the necessary price. The fact that 

 beans can be shipped from a distance 

 and be quite fresh at the end of the jour- 

 ney brings the southern-grown article 

 into competition with the home product, 

 and it stands to reason that the}' can be 

 j,'rowu !nuch cheaper in the open ground 

 than under glass. Though the express 

 charges run up the price of the southern 

 article somewhat, still it is not enough 

 to balance the price. Yet they can some- 

 times be worked in as a catch crop to 

 fill up space, and where the grower is 

 convenient to a good home market, where 

 a first-class article is wanted, a sufficient 

 price can be procured for them. It is a 

 crop that is easily done and one that is 

 little troubled by insects or disease. Ked 

 spider will sometimes make its appear- 

 ance if the atmosphere of the house is 

 kept too dry, but if this condition is 

 avoided and the plants syringed fre- 

 ciuently little trouble should result from 

 this source. 



We have tried several varieties for 

 forcing, but find Early ilohawk the best. 

 Some of the others may mature a little 

 earlier, but this is the healthiest grower, 

 freest and produces the largest beans, 

 the quality being excellent. Eaised 

 benches suit the crop best, as they like 

 a warm soil and need to be kept near 

 the glass to encourage stocky growth. 

 Any fairly good soil will suit them. "We 

 sow in rows across the bench, making 

 the rows twelve inches apart, and place 

 the seeds far enough apart so that no 

 thinning will be necessary. But we al- 

 ways take the precaution of first testing 

 the seeds to make sure they are good. 

 The see<ls are covered to about their own 

 depth and the soil kept rather dry until 

 they are well started. If kept too wet 

 a good deal of loss would occur through 

 rotting. After they are well under way 

 a plentiful supply of water is needed. 

 AVhc-n the plants are in bloom it is bet- 

 ter to withhold syringing, especially 

 during dull days, to insure a good set. 

 A night temperature of from .55 to GO 

 degrees, with a rise of 20 degrees by 

 day, will bring llieni along quite fast 

 enough, but to produce a good crop they 

 must be kept growing right along and 

 recei\e no check. About two good pick- 

 ings is all that can be got off them, it 

 being hardly profitable to keep them in 

 to mature the few small ones that would 

 be l"+i. W. S. Croydov. 



ST. PAUL. 



The Market. 



Another mrlestone passed in the flor- 

 ists' business! Another Christmas, with 

 all its attendant worry and trouble. 

 Christmas week opened mild and balmy 

 and the growers were deluded into the 

 belief that they would have nice weather 

 for delivering plants, but by Tuesday 

 noon Old Boreas was doing business as 

 of yore, f'hristnias morning the thermo- 

 meters registered as low as 10 degrees 

 below zero with a strong northwest wind. 



ANNOUNCEMENT. 



1 am pleased to announce that after lanuary i, 1904, I will reopen in 

 the Wholesale Cut Flo-wer and Florists' Supply business, having 

 purchased the wholesale business of Mr. John Muno, at 51 Wabash Ave., 

 Chicago (Atlas Block), where 1 have also secured additional storage 

 room for supplies of all kinds and the manufacturing of Wire Work. 



Mr. Muno will continue to ship his product to me, consisting of a 

 full line of American Beauties, Fancy Teas and Carnations, which, 

 together with shipment of miscellaneous flowers and Greens from other 

 shippers will give me a complete line of both Cut Flowers and Supplies 

 to furnish the trade promptly. 



All outstanding accounts owing Mr. Muno should be made payable to 

 Mr. John Muno, 51 Wabash Ave., care of Chas. W. McKellar. Mr. Henry 

 Muno will remain in the employ of Mr. McKellar and city accounts can 

 be paid to him personally. 



Mr. Muno takes this opportunity of thanking the trade for the 

 liberal patronage shown him and wishing the trade generally a Happy 

 New Year, and hoping that during same at least a portion of your trade 

 will be shared with the new firm, I am, 



\'ery truly yours, 

 (Signed) CHAS. W. IUcKELLAR. 



making deliveries diffietilt and frozen 

 noses prominent. 



Business started in rather brisk, but 

 dropped off somewhat later, so that ag- 

 gregate sales were probably ten per cent 

 less than a year ago. A prominent fea- 

 ture of this year-s trade was the in- 

 creased demand for holly wreaths, the 

 ready sale of good blooming plants and 

 the few complaints regarding prices. 

 Buyers were satisfied to ]iay the prices, 

 but bought more sparingly. Eoses re- 

 tailed at from $2 to $5 per dozen; car- 

 nations, 75 cents to $3; Beauties, $6 to 

 $20; violets, $i per 100; poinsettias, $3 

 to $8 per dozen. A few belated mums 

 were seen, but there was little or no de- 

 maud for them. "Well grown plants sold 

 at sight, also made up baskets. 



Various Items. 



Holm & Olson report good sales all 

 along the line. They hacl fine azaleas 

 and Begonia Lorraine. In cut roses some 

 extra fine Ivory and Gates sold at $5 

 per dozen. They are getting extra nice 

 stock from the Sherman Nursery Co., of 

 Charles City, Iowa, including Maids, 

 Brides, Perles, Sunsets and Beauties, 



A. S. Swanson had nice araucarias, 

 azaleas, oranges and peppers, besides the 

 usual supply of good cut blooms. 



L. L.. ilay &• Co. had extra fine cycla- 

 mens in pans and a choice assortment of 

 made-up baskets, which went very quickly. 



August Vogt reports very good sales 

 in holly wreaths and greens and a splen- 

 did sale of violets. Charles Vogt reports 

 the best sales on record. With plenty of 

 good stock and plenty of help he did a 

 very thriving business. 



The Eamaley Floral Co. disposed of a 

 ear of Christmas trees, all being gone by 

 the 23d. 



B. C. Seeger had all he could attend 

 to at liis stand on Hobert street, near 

 Seventh. He has recently jnit in a hand- 

 some refrigerator, Mhich improves the 

 appearance of the place very much. 



Otto Hiersekorn and E. V. Lenike both 

 h:id good sales. 



There was an abundance of holly and 

 mistletoe, mth some left over, but lyco- 

 podium was pretty well cleaned out, and 

 there isn 't a thousand yards of green left 

 in the citv. X. Y. Z. 



KALAMAZOO, MICH. 



Christmas Trade. 



As I anticipated in my last letter, the 

 volimie of trade this Christmas was far 

 in excess of last year, the most conserva- 

 tive estimate being from seventy-five to 

 100 per cent. Tliis applies to nearly all 

 the firms in the city. Carnations were of 

 good quality and in quantity were just 

 about equal to the demand, prices rang- 

 ing from $-t to $8 per hundred wholesale 

 ami from 50 cents to .$1.30 per dozen re- 

 tail. Beauties were plentiful, especially 

 in long stems, and quality excellent: 

 prices $6 to $12 per dozen wholesale and 

 they retailed at from 25 cents to .$1 each, 

 lleteors were in great demand and com- 

 manded prices ranging from $4 to $8 per 

 hundred wholesale and from 6 to 15 

 cents each retail. Brides, JIaids and 

 other roses were from $-1 to $8 per hun- 

 dred, according to quality, and retailed 

 i-orrespondingly. Violets were of fine 

 (juality but the retail price of 40 cents 

 per dozen scared off buyers. Poinsettias 

 were in great favor and sold readily at 

 75 cents and $1 each. Azaleas, cycla- 

 mens, primroses, Gloire de Lorraine and 

 Liliiim Harrisii were in great demand 

 and realized good prices. 



The various flower stores were very 

 tastefully decorated and attracted con- 

 siderable attention. The A'an Bochove 's 

 new store was elaborately done up for 

 the occasion and had on sale some very 

 fine specimens of Easter lilies and poin- 

 settias, some of the bracts of the poin- 

 settias measuring two feet across. The 

 weather was favorable for safe transpor- 

 tation and delivery. General satisfaction 

 reigns. E. 



Your, paper is the only paper. — J. 

 Saxdstrom. Momence, III. 



