March 24. 1004. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



899 



Shasta Daisy Ca'ifornia. 



Louis exposition provides a temporary 

 feature of importance. 



Retail distribution of Easter goods 

 steadily expands and dealers ' stocks are 

 being depleted because of conservatism 

 in initial purchases. This promises large 

 supplementary jobbing and wholesale or- 

 ders as the season advances. 



Business failures in the United States 

 for the week ending March 17 number 

 103, against 200 last week and 194 in 

 the like week in 1903. 



NEW SHASTA DAISIES. 



When Luther Burbank offered the 

 Shasta daisy to the trade in 1901 it was 

 not received as fllUng a long-felt want, 

 but many interested firms made a trial 

 of the novelty and as soon as the plants 

 had time to become established the real 

 worth of the introduction was quickly 

 realized. Then the demand for stock 

 increased very rapidly. Mr. Burbank 

 states that 5.000 times as much stock 

 was sent out in 1902 as in the first year, 

 and that in 1903 "fully 100,000 times as 

 much stock was ordered. ' ' 



Mr. Burbank has raised innumerable 

 seedlings of the Shasta daisy and now 

 has a new and improved strain, of which 

 California, a single flower of which is 

 shown in this issue, nearly full size, is 

 an example. The flowers of this have 

 two rows of petals and the buds and 

 half-opened flowers are a pale lemon yel- 

 low, gradually changing to pure white 

 in a day or two of development. Speak- 

 ing of growing methods Mr. Burbank 

 says: 



"Give these new Shasta daisies plenty 

 of room, one by four feet, or two tiy 

 three feet if convenient, with loose, rich, 

 sandy, well-drained soil, and feed them 

 well, just as you would the Chinese and 

 Japanese chrysanthemums, but do not 

 shelter, pet, pot and shade them. With 

 sufficient moisture they will take care 



of themselves in any climate from Alas- 

 ka to Sahara. But one point must be 

 looked after ; these new daisies, with all 

 their remarkable vigor will bloom them- 

 selves to death if allowed to produce 

 all the flowers winch start before the 

 plants have time to become establislied. 

 Eemove all, or all but one or two buds 

 until a good clump of leaves has been 

 formed, then let them loose and they 

 will exhibit an amazing wealth of bloom. 

 After the first season 200 to 500 giant 

 blossoms each will not strain their abili- 

 ties in the least, though for rapid prop- 

 agation, less would be better. ' ' 



One of the accompanying illustrations 

 shows Mr. Burbank 's home at Santa 

 Eosa, Cal. 



STEPHANOTIS. 



Stephanotis, the most handsome of 

 all the hothouse climbers, although so 

 useful to the florist in design work, 

 s]irays or garlands, is so rarely seen 

 tliat" it is almost unknown to the ma- 

 jority of home growers. Yet how few 

 are "the plants which possess such a 

 pure, waxy blossom and sweet fra- 

 grance? Its handsome green, shining 

 foliage is also one of its recommenda- 

 t ions. 



Its usual time of blooming is in June, 

 just in time for the June weddings, 

 when its graceful garlands of foliage 

 and bloom can so well be utilized. Well 

 budded sprays can be used either in 

 1 ouquets or as sprays for the hair or 

 dress. 



The value of this flower has long been 

 recognized by the European florists and 

 as it occupies so little room in the house 

 it is a general favorite. It is usually 

 trained along the roof of the stove or 

 hothouse, affording shade to those plants 

 in the benches underneath it. They in- 

 variably make it produce two crops dur- 

 ing the year, one in June and the other 

 in October. My experience with it in 

 this country has shown me that this is 

 not the best method for our climate. 

 Our hot, dry air during the summer is 

 too much for it if kept in a half rest- 

 ing condition after making its growth, 

 and it is safer to keep it growing freely 

 till late in the fall, when a partial rest 

 can be given. 



It is easily propagated by cuttings 

 from the previous year's growth, but 

 the quickest way to get a good sized 

 plant is by layering. Pot or tub cul- 

 ture can be practiced with success and 

 very attractive specimens can be had 

 by this method, but for cut flower work 

 nothing compares with the prepared 

 border and roof training. 



They succeed well in a night temper- 

 ature of from 60 to 70 degrees, the 

 best and most serviceable sprays loeing 

 produced at from 60 to 62 degrees. Use 

 a compost three parts turfy loam rough- 

 ly broken up and one part well rotted 

 cow manure, with about one-twentieth 

 of the whole bulk of charcoal added. 



Among the insect enemies of the ste- 



A Border ol the Improved Shasta Daisy. 



