898 



The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



March 24, 1904. 



will keep better in a cellar with a tem- 

 perature of 40 to 45 degrees, but there 

 must be ventilation or they will go to 

 sleep. I al?o bolievo that some varieties 

 keep better than others, s^ay, for instance, 

 Albertiua, Queen Louise, Ijawson and 

 Joost. and some others; th^se are good 

 keepers. But if you cut Albertiua be- 

 fore it is ripe it won't keep at all in 

 any kind of temperature. The retailer 

 is ahvays running a risk in buying stock. 

 Suppose he buys 200 or 300 carnation 

 blooms and has no immediate use for 

 them, or wants to hold them for a day 

 or so ; if he gets a lot of impropei !y cut 

 stock he certainly will be out, I will 

 admit that the retailer is to bla,nie a 

 good deal for his carnations ,,niSt "keep- 

 ing. He will put them in •.•jai's- and set 

 them in the wiDdow'.,aBd let thfin ',gfi at 

 that. ■ /'.-' 



Every carnatiop should be cut off at 

 the end of the stem when it comes in 

 from the grower, as the ends will most 

 always seal. Especially is this true with 

 shipped ones, and the consequence is they 

 go to sleep, I believe the poorest carna- 

 tion to keep . is America, It generally 

 throws out two long pistils, and my ex- 

 perience is that a carnation that does 

 that wUl go to sleep. I believe carna- 

 tions keep better in the spring mouths 

 than during the winter because they are 

 more plentiful and get a better chance 



make a good rose of it. The Bride or 

 Bridesmaid wilT act the same way when 

 cut in this stage. Here I have a short- 

 stemmed Beauty.' This is the same as 

 we get in the winter around Christmas 

 at $3 per dozen. Is there anyone here 

 who would buy a rose like that? Don't 

 yon think that if that rose had been left 

 on the plant a day or so longer it would 

 be better for both retailer and grower? 



In years gone by we had roses that 

 had to be cut very close. Bon Silene, 

 Safrano, Sprunt, Papa Gontier and Ben- 

 nett had to be cut close, as they wei'e 

 ail very shallow and would not keep 

 any length of time. But the rose up to 

 date should be cut in this shape. This 

 is an ideal rose in my estimation. You 

 need not be afraid to sell that rose to 

 tour best customer. You cannot tell a 

 ..lie about it if you wanted to. That rose 

 wiil keep; if you don't sell it today it 

 wiir-"be just as good tomorrow. In the 

 Slimmer we have another rose which I 

 genera:lly have trouble with, and I ex- 

 pect you all do. I mean President Car- 

 uot. This rose should be cut- very tight 

 and kept in a dark, cool place, I find it 

 keeps good if you tie the jar up in wax 

 paper. Then we have Kaiserin, which 

 is the best keeper of all when not cut 

 too close. This rose is the prettiest when 

 half-blown, and when kept cool and dark 

 it is a good lasterl' 



nations and roses. These two flowers 

 are the ones we have the most trouble 

 with, especially in the winter, when we 

 have little .sunshine, T don't believe 

 flowers will keep as well in the dull 

 winter daj'S as in the bright days of 

 spring, and, as I said before, the grower 

 is too anxious to cut. Did you ever no- 

 tice when they have blooms on exliibi- 

 tion how nice and full they are and 

 how well they are developed? Did you 

 ever get as nice blooms as you see some- 

 times on the exhibition tables at our 

 meetings here? I have not. Why? Be- 

 ' causo those blooms are not cut until they 

 are fit. 



I also want to say a few words about 

 our mums. Oftentimes in the early fall 

 when flowers are scarce everybody is 

 anxious to cut the first mums. Ard on 

 the other hand, every retailer is just as 

 anxious to have the first ones in his 

 window. Consequently they are cut too 

 soon. Now, the florist knows how to 

 keep such a mum, but the buyer does not. 

 You sell a bloom half developed and it 

 will always prove un.satisfactory. Your 

 buyer will come back -and claim you sold 

 stale flowers when you sold flowers too 

 fresh. Did this ever happen to any of 

 you? It has to- me. It does not pay to 

 sell half developed flowers of any kind. 

 Y'ou will always he'tlie 'iSaiser and de- 



A Cactus in Flower Makes a Striking Plant, in a Box Covered with Crepe Paper. 



to develop on the plants. In the winter 

 months, when they are scarce, the grower 

 generally cuts them before they are real- 

 ly fit to cut. Some say they need the 

 money, while others are anxious to supply 

 the demand, and sometimes the letailer 

 will ask them to cut them before they are 

 fit. All flowers should be put in water 

 immediately after cutting and left in at 

 least six hours before selling and they 

 will give better results. This, I believe, 

 is a good rule to follow with all cut 

 flowers. 



I also have some samples of roses here 

 which I want you to note. A rose cut 

 in this tight stage I claim is not gond 

 judgment. It will never develop in water, 

 but will turn blue and will burst off the 

 calyx before it will develop. If this 

 rose had been left on the plant another 

 day it would have made a good bloom. 

 No kind of treatment or temperature will 



I would like to ask if any of 30U here 

 who are in the retail business think that 

 American Beauty rose sliould be cut be- 

 fore the petals begin to unfold and put 

 in cold storage a day or two before send- 

 ing it out? Will it develop and keep its 

 color afer you get it, and is it profita- 

 ble to handle? I do not think that a 

 rose cut before the petals begin to unfold 

 is fit to handle at any time. 



I would like to ask if anyone knows 

 when the poinsettia should be cut so it 

 will not wilt in water? There is a cer- 

 tain time. Will calla lilies keep as well 

 when pulled out of the plant as the,v will 

 when cut off? No, and besides it in- 

 jures the plant. 1 will also ask you 

 what is the best way to keep violets fiom 

 losing their fragrance? Will tulips de- 

 velop w'-.en cut quite green and short- 

 stemmed ? 



You will nrte 1 speak mostly of car- 



grade the florists' business. Always try 

 and handle good flowers, well developed, 

 and you, the retailers and grOAvers. will 

 prosper. When your flowers get old and 

 .stale, throw them out, both cf you. It 

 will pay to always keep a good, fresh 

 stock, well preserved and well taken care 

 of. Don't try to sell sleepers for fresh 

 stock and new varieties. 



GENERAL TRADE GOOD. 



R. O. Duu & ("0. 's weekly review of 

 trade says: 



Improvement in trade and industry 

 continues, favorable reports largely out- 

 numbering adverse influences. The most 

 important event of the week was the two- 

 thirds vote by bituminous coal miners to 

 accept the proposed reduction in wages. 

 Traffic delays are still causing complaint, 

 and the movement of exhibits to the St. 



