8J4 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



APRIL 14, 1S9S. 



riegation is very distinct and hand- 

 some, the leaves at maturity forming 

 a striking contrast. 



Of the newer varieties of Begonia 

 Rex. Princess Charles of Denmark was 

 the most striking, with its "zones" of 

 soft pink and darker background. 

 Sander's Alasterpiece is an excellent 

 dark variety. 



"Down where the water lilies grow" 

 are to be seen several novelties and 

 Victoria Regias in their infant state. 

 Mr. W. H. Neptune Tricker, who pre- 

 sides over the mermaids in thisdepart- 

 ment, was building an elaborate rock- 

 ery for the display of this interesting 

 class of plants when your correspon- 

 dent called, and volunteered the infor- 

 mation that it takes "rocks" to build 

 anything of that kind; as we agreed, 

 there was no argument on this point. 



We have had the chrysanthemum 

 r(age). we have had the carnation 

 r(age). but the dahlia will next com- 

 mand attention. Mr. Eisele informed 

 me they had sold more dahlias thus far 

 than for any previous four years, and 

 the report seems to be pretty general. 



I was sorry I did not meet Mr. W. F. 

 Dreer. to congratulate him oh the ex- 

 cellent appearance of his stock, and so 

 I take pleasure in assuring him this 

 way from an unbiased standpoint. 



A. RECA. 



BUFFALO. 



The Easter Trade. 



The first days of the week were cold 

 and bleak, but bright, then Thursday, 

 Friday. Saturday and Sunday seemed 

 to vie with each other as to how beau- 

 tiful they could be. Poor Thursday 

 was not in it, Friday held a full house, 

 Saturday was four aces and Sunday 

 made them all lay down. Never in 

 the recollection of the oldest florist 

 (and we can remember the battle of 

 Waterloo) has such perfect weather 

 prevailed. It was not only comforta- 

 bly warm, but better still, there was 

 not enough air stirring to divert the 

 industrious bee from his direct course 

 while seeking nectar from the first 

 opening blooms of spring. 



It is slightly premature for me to 

 say just what the business was. and 

 what I would say would be decidedly 

 prejudiced by my own experience, but 

 the "dicky bird" says there never was 

 an Easter like this. In another col- 

 umn will be found my impressions of 

 what we ought in future to prepare for 

 this day. which has now become "a 

 great day." Jew and Gentile, patriot, 

 patrician and plebeian, Presbyterian 

 and Megatherian all seem alike to cel- 

 ebrate this day, and when it is accom- 

 panied with climatic conditions such 

 as we have just experienced it is 

 enough to make you embrace the man 

 to whom you loaned ten dollars last 

 week. 



Cut fiowers were simply not in the 

 race. John Dunlop's roses were here 

 and his Bridesmaids had three feet of 



Carludovica Atrovirens. 



stem, the flowers were seven inches 

 long and weighed half a pound, but 

 even this quality did not attract the 

 public nearly so much as a pretty 

 plant. Here is a sample order verba- 

 tim, and it fills the bill better than 

 any abstract account I can give: 

 Sandringham Hall, Suffolk, England. 

 My Dear Mr. Scott: 



Send two dozen of my best friends 

 in America a nice plant each, not to 

 exceed two dollars in cost, lilies pre- 

 ferred. Draw on me after the Darby. 

 ALBERT EDWARD, P. of W. 



There was nothing like it, and he 

 that didn't do well or feel well is a 

 turned down page that will never be 

 opened again, unlike Gray's immortal 

 "Elegy," or Robbie's "Tam O'Shan- 

 ter," 



Violets were really the only flowers 

 that were short in supply. One florist 

 was several thousand oversold on vio- 

 lets and another that we know well 

 had to substitute long-stemmed or- 

 chids in place of them. 



A fuller report of the Easter trade 

 will appear next week. I have only 

 this to say now: That a pretty, inex- 

 pensive plant was in greatest demand 

 this Easter. W. S. 



CARLUDOVICA ATROVIRENS. 



Though frequently considered among 

 palms and grown with them, yet this 

 handsome foliage plant is not a palm, 

 being more nearly related to the pan- 

 danus family. The species illustrated 

 has been in cultivation for many years, 

 but does not appear to have become 

 common in the trade on this side of the 

 ocean, and as a matter of tact is seldom 

 met with outside of private collec- 

 tions. 



C. atrovirens is a stemless or nearly 

 stemless plant of bushy habit, the 

 leaves of which are bifid, plaited some- 

 what like those of a curculigo, and very 

 dark green, as indicated by the specific 

 name. 



This plant grows freely in a warm 

 house, and is not hard to please in the 

 matter of compost, but makes more 

 rapid growth in light, rich soil with 

 good drainage, the latter point being 

 the more necessary from the fact that 

 an abundant supply of water is needed 

 for its welfare. 



Propagation may be effected by seeds 

 when these are obtainable, but more 

 often depends on division, as C. atro- 

 virens produces suckers freely, and by 



