December 14, 1907 



HORTICULTURE 



773 



growers' profits as likely to exercise a deterrent influ- 

 ence on greenhouse building. It does not follow that 

 this is so. Many take the opposite view and have little 

 diflficulty in figuring out the increased efficiency of 

 structures of modern type and concluding that if the 

 flower grower must face lower prices for his goods thi^ 

 man with a modern equipment is the one best able to 

 stand it. 



The wholesale florists and plants- 

 Possibilities men are once more to the front 

 in flower shipping ^ith their offers of tempting 

 goods for the suburban and coun- 

 try florists' holiday stock. For various reasons the 

 flower shipping trade has in many centres dwindled to 

 very small proportions as compared with its extent a 

 dozen yeare ago. It should not be a hopeless task to 

 revive it. There can be no argument now as to the 

 superiority of much of the stock seen in the wholesale 

 market districts to the average stock carried by deal- 

 ers in localities well removed from these centres. The 

 present would be a good season for the out-of-town 

 florist to make a trial and see how far his local buyers 

 may be coaxed along in the direction of an extra price 

 for a grade of stock superior to what he has been pro- 

 viding for them. We think he will find the wholesale 

 dealer more than ready to meet him and help demon- 

 strate the feasibility of regular flower shipments under 

 the favorable inducements which present conditions 

 admit of. The firms that advertise holiday goods in 

 this issue are all well-prepared for any such business 

 which may be entrusted to them. We bespeak for them 

 the generous support of those of our readers who are 

 interested in the class of material they offer, because 

 we are convinced that the resultant benefits will be 

 mutual. 



Cold Storage Lilies 



For the past few weeks the New York cut flower mar- 

 ket has been amply supplied with fine lily flowers grown 

 from cold storage bulbs of the L. longiflorum and its 

 giganteum variety. The Lilium multiflorum variety is 

 less adapted for keeping over, as the bulbs seem to be 

 less durable and they do not give as satisfactory results 

 as the other varieties. 



Cold storage lilies have been used for quite a number 

 of years in Europe — in England in particular — and 

 have proved to be a well-paying proposition. One of the 

 first to grow them in large quantities in preference to 

 Lilium Han-isii was Thos. Eochford at Turnford Hall 

 near London. The main difficulty lies in starting them 

 in the right way. It must be remembered that the 

 bulbs are kept in a temperature near the freezing point 

 in the cold store and when taken_ out in the summer 

 months they should be placed in as cool a temperature 

 as possible after being potted. A cool cellar perhaps 

 would be the best place to start them. We have seen 

 them covered with burlap and blocks of ice put close to 

 them to keep the temperature down until the bulbs 

 were thoroughly rooted and started to sprout. This 

 having taken place they should then be taken out and 

 placed in the coolest house. 



Growers who have their own cold storage connected 

 with their greenhouses have an easy task to start cold 

 storage lilies but those who are not so fortunate may 

 easily overcome this difficulty by making a trial as men- 

 tioned above and we have nn doubt they -nill be suc- 

 cessful. 



Primula stellata 



A Useful I.itti.i; Christmas Plajnt. 



A Choice Decorative Group 



We often see what are called artistic and decorative 

 groups at our English shows but there is an indescrib- 

 able charm about some of the French floral composi- 

 tions that defy words. M. Lachaume, the eminent 

 florist of the Eue Eoyale, Paris, is one of the greatest 

 experts in the floral art we know of but there are 

 others who put up at the Paris shows some compositions 

 that might well be studied by our floral decorators and 

 exhibitors at English shows Here lumpiness often 

 takes the place of that light and dainty arrangement 

 Joined with a judicious blending of color we so often 

 see in France. It is as the brick-layer said to the 

 Bishop who complained of the use of bad language, 

 "You can't learn it, governor, it is a gift." It is an 

 outcome of the natural temperament, and this is seen 

 in many other ways. 



In the orchid room at the Paris Show Messrs. Truf- 

 faut & Son of Versailles put up a delightful group of 

 decorative plants, etc. Graceful, ornamental foliage 

 plants, etc., were grouped together in a way tliat at once 

 arrested the visitors' attention. No crowding, every- 

 thing light, tasteful and in the most perfect harmony. 

 Among the subjects employed we noticed Nephrolepis 

 Whitmanii. Croton Pres' Demole, C. Maurice Eouvier. 

 Antlmriiini Andreanum, Dracfena Versailleuse, Areea 

 Verschaffelti. Dractena Godseffiana. Ixora Dixiana, 

 Croton Beedi, C. B. Comte, Alpinia Sanderje. Pandanus 

 Veitehii. ilaranta insignis and others. 



