April V, 1900 



HORTICULTURE 



449 



strongly. It would be well to state 

 here the worth of new roses as an 

 advertising medium for flower shows. 

 This was brought home to me very 

 forcibly at our show, where I estab- 

 lished a bureau of information, clerks 

 in charge being over-run with in- 

 quiries regarding the location of new 

 varieties advertised. 



As to reason five. Why the retailer 

 should learn the parentage or source 

 of new varieties. Because it pertains 

 to his business. When talking with 

 the trade the impression left by the 

 knowledge of new varieties can not 

 help but do good. Very often people 

 are glad to receive such information 

 and do not hesitate to tell others, and 

 at the same time it adds to the 

 prestige of the party giving the in- 

 formation. It is also a help in properly 

 displaying new varieties and correctly 

 informing the public. The choicest 

 vase of roses can be given 100 per 

 cent more publicity in the window 

 hy simple and truthful description. 



Reason six. Why the retailer should 

 interest himself in the naming of new 

 varieties. The grower should deliber- 

 ate very carefully before naming a new 

 rose. While undoubtedly it is a great 

 pleasure to name a rose after a dear 

 friend or a member of one's own family 

 it is not very often the practical way. 

 For after all we are merchants who 

 are fortunate to have one of the 

 Creator's beauties to deal with. If 

 flower buyers would rather purchase 

 the Alice Roosevelt rose than the 

 same rose named Uncle John or Uncle 

 Bill, let us give them what they want 

 and reap the benefit. It never hurt the 

 beautiful carnation Peter Fisher origi- 

 nated when he named it after Boston's 

 illustrious son's wife, Mrs. Thomas W. 

 Lawson, and nothing could be more 

 appropriate than the name American 

 Beauty for that grand flower. When 

 E. G. Hill changed the name of his 

 beautiful red rose from Aetna to Rich- 

 mond he knew there was something in 

 a name. An incident comes to my 

 mind during my visit to New York 

 last month. While strolling along 

 Fifth avenue I saw quite a throng of 

 people stop and admire three vases of 

 roses prominently displayed in a show 

 case in front of one of New York's 

 large flower stores. My curiosity heing 

 aroused I investigated and found the 

 beautiful Richmond rose adorned with 

 a small placard announcing same as 

 the Mme. Sembrich, Uncle John as 

 Mme. Eames; and still another rose, 

 the variety of which I was ignorant of, 

 as Mme. Melba. That heing grand 

 opera week I was informed by the 

 exhibitor that they could insure the 

 sale of many more roses by tricking 

 the public. I myself do not approve 

 of that scheme, far the reverse, and I 

 did not hesitate to tell my informant 

 so. But here was food for thought. 

 If it was of so much value to name 

 the rose Mme. Eames. or whatever 

 the name might be, to increase the 

 sales, why should not the retailer who 

 meets the purchaser and knows the 

 value of a name be consulted and his 

 advice listened to? 



Reason seven. Why he should devote 

 part of his time to horticultural 

 societies and local florists' clubs to re- 

 late experiences with new varieties. 

 My answers to other reasons covers 

 this somewhat. But the fact of the 

 good derived from rubbing elbows with 

 all branches of our business, was 



brought home to me during a recent 

 visit to Dayton, O. While taking 

 lunch at the officers' club on the 

 National Cash Register Co.'s grounds, 

 where the heads of the different de- 

 partments lunch and spend the noon 

 hour, I noted that the greater pur- 

 port of the conversation was upon 

 their work. I was informed that some 

 of the brightest ideas originate in 

 that recreative hour. Thus it should 

 be at our club meetings. The retail 

 employer should see that his help be- 

 longs to local organizations, and there 

 if anywhere, the rose grower is sure 

 to bring his new variety. Discussions 

 on the merits of the same might take 

 place and the grower could get such 

 information as he may need and wish. 

 It wants the closer affiliation of the 

 grower and retailer to help both in 

 their business. It was at one of these 

 meetings in our city that a Chicago 

 grower displayed a vase of the Mme. 

 Abel Chatenay in first class condition. 

 The rose had been partly condemned 

 by some of the retailers who had not 

 seen it at its best. The rose so im- 

 pressed one of our prominent retailers 

 at that meeting, and he was so in- 



George Asmus 



terested, that his purchases and the 

 demand he caused no doubt was re- 

 sponsible for part of the great popu- 

 larity of this rose in our city. 



Reason eight. Why the retailer 

 should be one of a set of judges and 

 his essays more frequent. By so doing 

 he would come in touch with the local 

 dealer and get his ideas on his wants 

 in the way of supplies for certain 

 seasons and the colors mostly desired. 

 It seems to me, also, that essays would 

 be one of the ways his ideas could be 

 ventilated. By making him one of a 

 set of judges the commercial view of 

 the new rose could be better had. 



OBITUARY. 

 Henry E. Riedel, one of the old-time 

 florists of New York City, died on Sat- 

 urday. March 31. 



William J. Livingston died at his 

 home in Columbus, Ohio, on March 25. 

 He was 75 years of age. Mr. Living- 

 ston was a brother of A. W. Livingston, 

 who founded what is now The Living- 

 ston Seed Co. of that city. 



EASTER PLANTS IN NEW YORK 

 MARKET. 



The Easter plant trade is practical- 

 ly over as far as the growers are con- 

 cerned. Everything of importance 

 has been sold and deliveries are about 

 to begin. The staples of other years 

 are the staples of this year, with slight 

 variations. Lilies are better than last 

 year, as a rule. The percentage of 

 diseased stock is small, and the plants 

 are taller and better proportioned. Of 

 azaleas there is the usual abundance, 

 the impression being, however, that 

 there are no more and possibly fewer 

 than last season. Hydrangeas are ex- 

 cellent; a great many of those grown 

 as rosea are this year indigo blue, and 

 the only explanation anyone can give 

 is that "it is in the soil." Lilacs, gen- 

 estas, acacias and rhododendrons are 

 seen in usual quantity and quality. 

 The rhododendrons are even better 

 flowered than usual, but the verdict of 

 the growers is that the demand for 

 them is very weak for some reason. 

 Astilbe in various species is generally 

 good. Gladstone and astilboides flori- 

 bunda seem to be the most approved. 

 Crimson Rambler roses are ready in 

 enormous numbers; there are not so 

 many formally trained specimens seen 

 as in some recent years, the loose 

 bush form being the most common. 

 In color it can safely be said that 

 they have never been so uniformly 

 bright. The growers have Crimson 

 Rambler forcing studied down to a 

 nicety. 



Baby Ramblers, so-called, are being 

 extensively grown by most of the 

 plant men. The variety seems to be 

 getting out of its babyhood with com- 

 mendable promptitude; two feet high 

 is not an uncommon size, and the 

 growths are still traveling upward. 

 The plants are covered with bloom, 

 but suffer in color when in the neigh- 

 borhood of the brighter-hued Crimson 

 Rambler. 



Next to this rose comes Doro- 

 thy Perkins, of which a good many 

 are being forced this year, and the 

 pure soft pink of its bloom is being 

 well preserved. Wedding Bells is 

 seen occasionally. Its worst charac- 

 teristic is that the flowers acquire a 

 rather dull hue after being open a few 

 days; its best characteristic is the 

 remarkable tenacity of its petals 

 which hang on for two or three weeks. 

 Ericas are, as usual, the aristocrats 

 of the Easter offerings. Ventricosa 

 varieties, persoluta alba, cupressina 

 and Cavendishi are most in evidence. 

 Large quantities of bulbous material, 

 such as daffodils (double and single), 

 tulips, Dutch hyacinths, lily of the 

 valley, etc., are ready in pots and pans 

 for the final touch of warm sunlight 

 to open the flowers at the right mo- 

 ment. Daisies in several sorts will 

 be among the popular Easter plants. 

 Queen Alexandra is grown quite gen- 

 erally; few flowers show any sign of 

 being double or semi-double, but the 

 rich color of the disc gives this vari- 

 ety a distinction that meets with gen- 

 eral approval. A moderate number of 

 cinerarias, primroses (including Chi- 

 nese and obconica), pansies, etc., are 

 seen. The usual quantity of Lady 

 Campbell violets in pots is promised. 



