April 15, 1911 



HORTICULTURE 



569 



Tuberous Rooted Begonias 



In five separate colors ^ White, Scarlet, Crim- 

 son, Pink and Yellow — 



SINGLE, $2.50 per 100 $20.00 per 1000 

 DOUBLE, $4.50 " " $40.00 " " 



GLOXINIAS 



In four separate colors — White, Blue, Red and 

 Blue-bordered White. $4,50 per 100. 

 Finest Mixed, all colors — ■ 

 $3.50 per 100. 



CROTONS 



Fine assortment, well-colored. 5-in. pots, 

 $9.00 per dozen. 



FINE FERNS 



Ready for Immediate Retail Sale 



We have an exceptionally fine and large stock of 

 the following varieties— first-class plants of excep- 

 tionally good value,— plants that will please the most 

 critical buyers, both in regard to quality and value. 



NEPHROLEPIS ELEGANTISSIMA (Improved). 



The finest of this type, never showing a Boston frond. 



It has not reverted in the last four years. 



Fine plants, 6-in. pots, $6.00 per dozen; 8-in., 

 $12.00 to $18.00 per dozen; large specimens 

 in 12-in., pans, $3.00 to $5.00 each. 



NEPHROLEPIS ELEGANTISSIMA COMPACTA. 



This bears the same relation to elegantissima that 

 Scotti does to Bostoniensis. It is a dwarf, compact 

 plant, especially fine in the small sizes. 



Pine plants, 6-in. pots, $6.00 per dozen; 8-in., 

 $18.00 per dozen; extra fine specimens, 12-in. 

 pans, $5.00 each. 



SMALL FERNS FOR FERN PANS. Best and 

 hardiest varieties assorted, — Pteris Mayii, Wimsetti, 

 Adiantoides, Aspidium tsuslmense, Cyrtomlum falca- 

 tum, etc. 



Nice plants, 2iA-in. pots, $3.50 per 100. 



F. R. PIERSON COMPANY, ^^'^iga-^-SU"""' 



EASTER PLANTS, PHILADELPHIA. 



Aided by the fine weather of the 

 past few days the Easter plant men 

 of Philadelphia, up to the present 

 writing (Tuesday), have had the time 

 of their lives. One of the principal 

 shippers from this point, (the Robert 

 Craig Co.) reported that last Sunday 

 they had broken all records by getting 

 ■off for that one day 180 big cases. A 

 fierce struggle and strain, yet how tew 

 of the dainty ladies among our ninety 

 millions will think of that next Sun- 

 day morning? 



The azalea and the Easter lily are 

 as usual the leaders in the procession 

 for popularity; although the Rambler 

 loses in their many varieties crowded 

 the favorites more closely than ever 

 before. The newer Ramblers, espe- 

 cially in the big, well trained speci- 

 mens have met with extraordinary fa- 

 vor. 



This certainly has been a great lily 

 year. Many of the leading growers in- 

 creased their plantings and yet every 

 bit of good stock was sold out in ad- 

 vance and orders were being turned 

 down by Tuesday. How the retailers 

 fared in this proposition will not be 

 known until next Sunday of course. 

 The short lily was very much in evi- 

 dence, and this was the class the de- 

 partment stores were retailing at 15 

 cents while the first-class flower stores 

 -could easily get 25 for good stock that 

 cost wholesale 15 to nVz cents. There 

 is no diminution in the general popu- 

 larity of the azalea and enormous 

 ■quantities were grown and disposed of. 

 Hydrangeas are extra good this year 

 and in much favor. Mms. Moliere was 

 in evidence in limited quantity. It has 



a bigger flower and more substance 

 than Thomas Hogg. The late season fa- 

 vored the genista also — this item being 

 unusually well done. Chas. Mecky had 

 one of the finest lots that have ever 

 been grown in this neighborhood 



Gladstone still holds the fort as the 

 bfst of the spireas for Easter trade 

 and enormous quantities of well done 

 stock were to be seen everywhere. This 

 is undoubtedly the best all 'round com- 

 mercial variety to date. The pink 

 Queen Alexandra was shown in limited 

 quantity and met with ready sale. An- 

 otner good subject was the Marguer- 

 ite (C. frutescens) white, yellow and 

 Queen Alexandra. We have never seen 

 these better done. Grand rhododen- 

 dron year. Everything at all passable 

 sold. 



In the decorative plant line there 

 was no active trading except in ferns 

 and a few bright follaged things like 

 protons and Pandanus Veitcbii. But it 

 was surprising to see how many ferns 

 went. Nearly every order called for 

 some, and all the many varieties of 

 Nephrolepis from four-inch up to 

 specimens went in goodly quantities. 



The foregoing covers the situation; 

 but we may add that some minor items 

 such as hyacinths, daffodils, and tulips 

 had a very good sale — the cool weather 

 conditions having favored the bringing 

 of these subjects to market in form 

 and finish such as we seldom see. We 

 may mention among the things not 

 seen everywhere — a few items such as 

 American Pillar rose — an outstanding 

 gem of the first water among the Ram- 

 blers — notwithstanding that Robert 

 Craig is up in the seventh heaven 

 about Juanita. 

 Spirea, Anthony Waterer- This is a 



nice thing; but not striking enough to 

 ever make a really good Easter plant. 

 Ericas — These were in evidence in 

 limited quantity and were eagerly 

 sought for by the first-class stores for 

 basket work. No local growers that 

 we know of could supply these. The 

 basket work seen around the big retail 

 stores is as extensive and elaborate as 

 ever and showed no diminution in the 

 enterprise of the proprietors nor In 

 the skill of the artists. In addition to 

 dainty baskets, lovely ribbons, and oth- 

 er garnishings — they have this year 

 gone a bit further and now add bird 

 nests and butterflies! Stop it, gentle- 

 men, before you get out of the fine- 

 art realm and into the cheap tinsel of 

 the Christmas tree territory! Your 

 scribe will get his hide well curried 

 for daring to make this last remark 

 but it is true, nevertheless, and time 

 will amply vindicate the proposition. 

 There is just as much danger in over- 

 doing as in under-doing. There were a 

 good many specimen gardenia plants 

 around. Hardly see how this can ever 

 make a satisfactory Easter plant. Buds 

 too easily tarnished. 



A highly progressive Nebraska 

 nurseryman, ever on the alert for new 

 things, going into the woods a few 

 weeks ago found, as he thought, a 

 beautiful little plant holding its winter 

 berries. "Just the thing exactly for 

 borders," he said, and forthwith he 

 gathered a large quantity and took 

 them home to plant out. At once his 

 wrists commenced itching and soon 

 they were swollen to nearly twice their 

 normal size. He said, "I never saw 

 poison ivy before." He has seen it 

 now 



