JLiBCH 26, 1903. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



725 



Banquet Decoration by J. H. Small & Sons. New York. 



one, and the Acacia armata is anothei. 

 Anil, strange to say. the Crimson Ram- 

 bler roses, «hich so often seem bare of 

 flowers near the pot, will admit of some 

 artificial additions. Tlie Porto Eico 

 mat we do believe in strongly. They 

 cost but .$1.5 per 100, and when an 

 azalea, a pan of lilies, a crimson Ram- 

 bler rose, a lilac or any good-sized plant 

 is adorned with one it will add fifty 

 ■cents to the value of the plant in the 

 eyes of the customer. Green, pink, yel- 

 low and red are about all the colors you 

 want. In the absence of a mat use 

 <'o!ored tissue paper. Even that makes 

 the plant look as if '"dressed for a 

 party.' Don't hand a .50-cent plant to 

 the poorest customer without some cov- 

 ering. The day of delivering a plant in 

 a. bare pot as an Easter gift is past. 



Easter Preparations. 



It may seem frivolous for me to say. 

 have all tliese things ready in good time 

 and do all you can a week ahead of the 

 busy week. Boxes of all sizes can be 

 made up and be in readiness. Pots can 

 be washed of those plants you are sure 

 ■will sell, for although they can be hid 

 for a time, nothing can be more hideous 

 than a greasy flower pot. 



If you wholesale plants to the retail 

 florist he can walk into the houses 

 where they are to be found, but if you 

 •cater more to the retail trade, to people 

 who want to select one or two plants, 

 then make a fine show in one house, and 

 that of course the most accessible. Doii't 

 mix them all up like a private con- 

 servatory; keep them in blocks. It is 

 more impressive and far more convenient 

 when you are looking out an order. 



Sweet Peas. 



I meant in my last notes to remind 

 you tliat sweet peas should be sown 

 the moment you can get on the ground 

 without the mud sticking to your shoes. 

 We ])lowed some land in the fall, and on 

 the 10th of this month sowed the peas 

 without any more digging or plowing. 



This is the earliest date I can remem- 

 Ijer getting them in. Make a wide, deep 

 drill; sow thin, with the rows four 

 feet apart if you are not short of room. 



Pansies. 



I'ansies. either if wintered in tiie field 

 or in cold frames, are sure to be lifted 

 some by the frost and should be gone 

 over and pressed firmly into the ground. 

 It has been a good winter on these and 

 they will l>e in full bloom by April 1. 



Hollyhocks. 



We have been struggling with holly- 

 hocks all winter, and after a hard fight 

 have subdued that dreadful fungus, at 

 least for the time being, and it has been 

 done by a weekly spraying with am- 

 monical copper solution. 'They can be 

 planted out at any time now. From 

 exijei'ience I know that hollj'hocks like 

 a stiff loam, or clay if you like, dug 

 deep with plenty of manure. If the.y 

 do well they shotild need five feet be- 

 tween the plants. 



Hotbeds. 



I don't believe in a florist using more 

 hotbeds than he is compelled to, and 

 then only for stuff that can be put in 

 about the middle of April. A month's 

 growth on them will make such things 

 as alternanthera jump, but it is 

 time to look about for the material. 

 Stable manure mixed with refuse hops 

 (if your neighbors don't kick) makes 

 a good and lasting bed. The material 

 should lie gathered into a big heap and 

 tvirned over at least twice before it is 

 made into the bed, or it will burn itself 

 out or be too Wolent when first made 

 up. William Scott. 



BANQUET DECORATION. 



Tlie accompanying engraving shows 

 the very rich decoration arranged by 

 .T. H. Small & Sons, Xew York, for a 

 dinner given by Mrs. Clarence Mackay 

 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. 



Ine tables were jjlaced completely 



around the Marie Antoinette room and 

 there were covers for a hundred and 

 fifty. On the table orchids and Farley- 

 en.se ferns were used exclusively, over 

 five thousand cattleyas being required. 

 The corsages were of clusters of orchids 

 tied with cattleya ribbon, and white or- 

 chids were provided for the gentlemen's 

 boutonuicres. 



The walls were festooned with south- 

 ern smilax and asparagus, and as will 

 be seen in the picture the bank of palms 

 was interspersed with bougaimallea, 



PITTSBURG. 



Last week we exjierienced a week of 

 extraordinarily waiin weather for the 

 time of the season, the mercuiy on Fri- 

 day, Marcli 20, reaching the 78 degree 

 mark. This weather had no bad effect 

 on business, but really stimulated it. 

 The quality of stock was somewhat af- 

 fected bj- the veiy soft and warm weath- 

 er, being most noticeable on ilaid and 

 Bride rose.s, Tlie supply of all kinds of 

 stock was equal to the demand. 



Beauties remain plentiful. Tlie quali- 

 ty is very good, but prices are very low. 



Carnations are selling better, and 

 white ones are arriving in larger quanti- 

 ties. 



Bulbous stock is not so niucli in evi- 

 dence as last week; prices on same re- 

 main unchanged. 



In greens. Asparagus Sprengeri is now 

 quite plentiful and helps out the short- 

 age of smilax. 



The firm of Streiff & Xeigel in the Al- 

 legheny market has dissolved partner- 

 shij). Harry Streifi' will continue the 

 business under his name. Mr. Streiff 

 has the best wi-shes of all his associates. 



J. B. Murdoch & Co.. 510 Smithfield 

 street, have sold their down-town build- 

 ing for $135,000, This place is one 

 of the oldest stands now doing business. 



E, C, Ludwig was busy last week with 

 funeral woik. On Thursday. March 19, 

 he made up work which amounted to 

 $.300, 



Mrs, E. A. Williams and A. W. Smith 



