April 2, 1903. 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



787 



A H9use of Princess of W^ales Violets at the establishment of Mr. William Sim, Cliftondale, Mass. 



more quickly than the center; about 3 

 p. m. the sides and ends are given an- 

 other supply, using less water than be- 

 fore. 



Our beds have had a top dressing of 

 soil and bone meal this week, putting 

 it on heavier in the space between tlie 

 outside rows and sides of bench. This 

 \Tith careful shading allows us to delay 

 mulching until after Easter. 



Mulching. 



I do not believe in carl.v nuilehing, 

 that is in Januai-y or February, as we 

 are likely to have dark stormy periods 

 during these months. With top dress- 

 ing and liquid food intelligently applied 

 we leave off the mulch until April 1 to 

 15, according to tlie weather. We like 

 to have the mulch go on a week or two 

 after Easter, thus allowing time for the 

 plants to recover somewhat from the 

 effect of heavy cutting, which as a rule 

 happens during that week, then the re- 

 sult sought will soon put itself in evi- 

 dence, namely, renewed strong growth, 

 stiff .stems, brilliancy of color, etc., 

 which characterizes blooms grown with 

 soil cool and supplied witli proper plant 

 food. 



Disbudding, syringing. watering, 

 drawing the shoots into place, ventila- 

 tion and regular fumigation will of 

 course have to be attended to closely to 

 repay the expense of material and labor 

 in applying a mulch. Another reason 

 for delaying this ojieration until what 

 some may call late, is to allow ample 

 time for decision as to what varieties 

 are likely from their appearance to be 

 worth continuing, especially when new 

 varieties are in the question. 



Mulching well done is an expensive 

 operation; poorly done it is more than 

 expensive — a w-aste. Looking at tlie 

 matter squarely, it is an investment of 

 capita], tlierefore it should only be done 

 on benclies which give promise of good 

 interest on the capital to be invested. 

 A good mulch is prepared with clean 

 horse manure, which has been frequent- 

 ly turned to prevent heating. .Just be- 

 fore applying give it a last thorougii 

 turning and breaking up, add a 6-incli 

 pot of .sheep manure to cacli wheelbar- 

 row load, also a generous handful of 

 air slacked lime. This can be modified 



in various ways: Cow manure can be 

 used instead of horse when, perhaps, less 

 sheep would answer. 



In any event I would not use so called 

 "well rotted manure." IManure that "is 

 rotting" has the right snap to it. As 

 I said before, mulching well done is ex- 

 pensive, but when you are making wed- 

 ding cake it must be rich or no dreams 

 will be produced, while with a weak 

 mulch all will be dreams. 



Geo. S. Osborn. 



CARNATION NOTES-WEST. 



Easter Flowers. 



I just want to remind you this week 

 alxmt holding up your blooms for Eas- 

 ter, and the trouble and dissatisfaction 

 that is caused every year at Easter and 

 Christmas by the foolish pickling of flow- 

 ers practiced right along by growers 

 who ought to know better. It is a great 

 temptation when you know 'you can sell 

 all the blooms you will have at at least 

 double the regular prices, and in fact it 

 is demanded of you to have at least 

 double yc'ui usual supply at these times. 



If your plants are well loaded with 

 buds you can do this by raising the 

 temperature a few degrees and holding 

 back the bloom a few days, but if y<jUT 

 crop (if buds is light you should not try 

 to make up for it by raising the tem- 

 perature excessively high and by holding 

 up the blooms a couple of weeks. You 

 can keep blooms in your cellar two 

 weeks and they will look pretty fair 

 when you bring them up, but they won't 

 last a day nor they won't stand the 

 liandling they are bound to get at sucli 

 a busy time and you should have a lit- 

 tle consideration for the customer who 

 finally buys them to t-.ke home or to 

 send them to some friend. True, the 

 retailer will have to stand the kick and 

 his trade will suffer first, but it will 

 come home to you in good time, and with 

 interest. After a few such tricks you will 

 have a reputation for tliat kind of deal- 

 ing and it will take you a long time to 

 live it down. You sliould lie satisfied 

 with these high prices when you can 

 get them during the whole week preced- 

 ing the great day. 



Raising the temperature will not do 

 so much harm at this time of the year 

 as it will at Christmas, because the sun 

 is stronger and the days are warmer 

 and longer and long cloudy spells are 

 less frequent. The plants also are es- 

 tablislied better. Be sure that your 

 plants have plenty of water and fresh 

 air while you are forcing them. A 

 weak dose of liquid manure or a sprink- 

 ling of lime, bone or wood ashes will 

 also help them some. And finally don't 

 hold up a lot of stock until Sunday 

 morning. There is so often an overstock 

 of some kinds of stock on that morning 

 when two days before there was nothing 

 to be had. Prices break and you real- 

 ize much less on your stock than you 

 would have done the day before or even 

 earlier in the week. A. F. J. Baur. 



SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FLORISTS. 



Meeting of the Executive Board. 



The Executive Board held its regular 

 meeting at Milwaukee, Wis., on March 

 17-18. 1903. Tliey found a degree of 

 enthusiasm prevalent in Milwaukee and 

 in Chicago that promised well for a 

 record-breaking convention next August. 



The convention building which the local 

 club had recommended for the meetings 

 and exhibition was found to be admir- 

 ably adapted for the purpose and with 

 an area of availa'ole exhibitioni space 

 such as the society has never before had 

 at its command. Tlie building is cen- 

 trally located, occupying the block 

 bounded by Fifth, Sixth, State and Ce- 

 dar streets. 



Tlie facilities for the bowling tourna- 

 ment and similar pastimes, which are 

 a prime attraction for many of the so- 

 ciety members, were found to be un- 

 precedentedly ample and well adapted, 

 there being sixteen fine alleys in the 

 building which will be secured for the 

 exclusive use of the bowlers on the day 

 of the contest. 



The program, as far as completed, 

 provides for the opening session of the 

 convention to take place at 3 p. ra. 

 Tuesday, August 18th; the president's 

 reception on the evening of the same 

 day; an illustrated lecture on the even- 



