786 



The Weekly Florists' Review, 



April 2, 1903. 



you would, I tliink, get flowers in spring 

 and summer. 



If in a box, then stand it out of doors 

 in September and let it remain there 

 until the following February or March. 

 And if it is planted out in a border, 

 then cut it back and lift it and get it 

 established in a tub or box, so that you 

 can give it a rest for a few months in 

 fall and winter. I feel sure it is the 

 continuous high temperature and no rest 

 that is the trouble. William Scott. 



SINGLE VIOLETS. 



We present herewith a view of the es- 

 tablishment of Mr. William Sim, Clifton- 

 dale, Mass., and another picture showing 

 the interior of one of his houses of Prin- 

 cess of Wales violet, of which he makes a 

 specialty. 



Mr. Sim commenced the cultivation of 

 this violet six years ago with 1.000 

 plants, and he found the results so satis- 

 factory that he increased the number of 

 plants each year, and this season he is 

 picking from 18,000 plants, the pick up 

 to date amounting to a million and a 

 quarter of blooms. He expects the pick 

 for the full season to reach a million and 

 ■a half. In spite of the large increase in 

 quantity prices have kept at the old level 

 and the quality has been such that all 

 have been ordered ahead. 



V. ill undoubtedly be the largest violet 

 hou.se ever erected. 



In response to a request for a descrip- 

 tion of his method of growing the Prin- 

 cess of Wales violet on such a scale Mr. 

 Sim writes: 



''The plants are now about through 

 blooming and they should be removed 

 from the greenhouse as soon as possible, 

 when a crop of .something else can take 

 tlicir place. If the plants remain in the 

 house long after they have stopped 

 blooming they make a very rank, soft 

 growth, which makes them hard to han- 

 dle, besides taking considerable of their 

 vitality. 



"All runners should be removed from 

 the plants and destroyed, as they are 

 worthless to inci'ease stock from. The 

 crowns which are attached to the old 

 plant are what make the flowering 

 plants for next season. A cold frame is 

 the best place to put the plants, as they 

 can be protected from a freeze, but other- 

 wise expo-sed to the weather. Tlie plants 

 can stay in this condition until the end of 

 April or the beginning of JIay. when 

 they can be divided and planted directly 

 into the field. 



"Another method may also be used 

 with success. As the plants are removed 

 from the greenhouse thej- may be divided 

 and the young plants put into a cold 

 frame, 2ix3 inches apart. Care should 



CARNATION NOTES— EAST. 



Easter Blooms. 



When these notes reach you there will 

 not be much to be done to improve the 

 quality of the Easter cut except it be in 

 giving close attention to watering and 

 shading. The cheese cloth referred to 

 in notes of March 19 has kept one bench 

 of Lawson in fine condition ; every 

 bloom is of the true Lawson color. Wo 

 sometimes have orders for this carna- 

 tion stating that they be full blown and 

 less intense in color; this condition is 

 easily and quickly brought about by 

 removing the cloth from a block of 

 plants for a day or two, for as a rule 

 this class of orders are given well in 

 advance. 



So much for the grower who retails 

 his product; the wholesaler is not both- 

 ered so much with little details but he 

 has his vexations, the chief one per- 

 haps when some seemingly small credit 

 slip is returned to him. especially after 

 the heavy Easter trade is over and 

 prices have been quoted as much stiffer. 



I do not propose to take up the trou- 

 bles that have, may or will occur be- 

 tween the grower and the commission 

 man, but I cannot refrain from warning 

 the grower against sending in pickled 

 or salted stock, particularly when we all 



Greenhouses of Mr. 'William Sim, Cliftondale, Mass. 



The largest one day's pick was on Feb. 

 14, which was 37,000. The Christmas 

 pick, lasting four days, was 44.000. Dur- 

 ing the past month — March — the average 

 daily pick was 20,000. Fourteen persons 

 have 'been kept busy on this crop all the 

 season. A few years ago all the flowers 

 ■were bunched in three bunches to the 

 hundred but this season bunches of fifty 

 are the smallest, while a great many are 

 hundreds, with a few containing a hun- 

 dred and fifty flowers. 



The violets are all taken to Boston the 

 same day they are picked, and at no time 

 during the season have they been picked 

 over four hours before they were in the 

 flower stores. Three shipments have 

 been made each day, the first being in 

 the stores by 10 a. m., the second by 

 noon and the third by 3 p. m., thus giv- 

 ing buyers a steadj' supply of fresh 

 goods. There seems to be no limit to 

 the quantity the market will take. 07ic 

 retailer giving an order for 100.000 for 

 Easter last year. Jlr. Sim is now build- 

 ing a new violet house 30x300, which 



be taken "to keep those which have roots 

 separate from those which have none. 

 The former will be ready to plant in the 

 field as soon as the weather permits, 

 V hile the others will be a few weeks 

 Irtcr. lliese should be kept on the close 

 side for a week or two with a little 

 shading, spraying them quite frequently 

 to prevent wilting and red spider. As 

 they recuperate gra^lually increase the 

 ventilation and finally remove sash en- 

 tirely. 



"The place where they are to be plant- 

 ed through the summer should now be 

 got ready if this was not done in the 

 fall, which I think is the best time. This 

 sliiuld have a good coating of cow nia- 

 . nure — whether fresh or old I find makes 

 practically no difference — and it should 

 be plowed in to the depth of ten inches. 

 I have tried horse and other manures, 

 but without good results." 



The Review speaks for itself. No 

 florist should be without it. — C. C. Won- 

 neman, Mexico, Mo. 



heard and read so much complaint at 

 Christmas about this practice. David 

 Harum, I believe, says: "Put all thy 

 eggs in one basket and watch that bas- 

 ket." I would say to you brother grow- 

 ers; Put all thy strength of body and 

 mind into a good reputation and watch 

 that reputation. It will bear fruit. 



But now a few words on watering. 

 Assuming that your plants have had 

 and will continue to have the "proper 

 rotation of the liquid chemical menu," 

 with perhaps in some cases something 

 solid on the side — a mulch — I wish to 

 caution you against going to an extreme 

 in watering. It is true that the plants 

 now need plenty of water, but it is not 

 necessary to soak the beds to the point 

 of saturation so that quite a quantity 

 runs through, for by this means much 

 valuable matter is carried out in solu- 

 tion. 



We plan to water in the morning, giv- 

 ing the beds enough to wet the whole 

 thoroughly, allowing more for the soil 

 next the sides and ends, which dry out 



