September 29, 197 



HORTICULTUEE 



349 



THE FLORISTS^ WINTER PLANT PROBLEM 



ened up the florists' shops helping to create a feehng 

 of a short mild winter and to look at them in their 

 profusion many a time took the harshness out of a 

 cold lilizzardy day. Many a grower will be the loser 

 in not getting his full supply of bulbs and the retailer 

 likewise will surely miss them. 



It has been customaiy to use a great many bulbous 

 flowers, especially in larger cities, for spring openings 

 and many of the varieties such as daffodils and tulips, 

 especially the Darwins were great favorites among 

 flower buyers. We have found a substitute for lily of 

 the valley in sweet peas and swainsona, but it will be 

 liard to substitute on tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, etc. 



There always has been some difference of opinion as 

 to the effect of bulb stock on the market. Some growers 

 assert that if no bulbous flowers were on the market 

 much better returns would be gotten or other slock. 

 That may be true to some extent but the public is al- 

 ways looking for something different and one thing helps 

 sell another and getting back to the same thing all tiie 

 year round w'ould also have its set-backs in many ways. 

 If the growing of bulbous stock is kept within reason 

 and not overdone, to keep the market from becoming 

 glutted, the gi'owing of bulbs should be profitable to 

 the grower and a gTeat help to the retailer. Also a big 

 loss will be sustained by many on account of the loss 

 of fall planting out doors and we will sadly miss their 

 graceful and artistic beauty as our harbingers cf 

 spring. 



We are confronted with a situation today such as 

 has never before entered into the history of the flower 

 business. Owing to conditions of war there seems to be 

 no prospects of any plants coming from Europe as in 

 the past and a greatly reduced number of bulbs. The 

 question arises noAv what is best to fill the vacancies in 

 this line. 



For Christnuis' trade every grower should prepare 

 with such plants as cyclamen, begonias, primulas, pep- 

 pers, cherries, oranges, pahns, ferns, crotons, ardesias, 

 poinsettias, euphorbia, chorizema, to fill the demand. 



For mid-winter and Easter season, the French hyd- 

 rangea could be used to great advantage, also many of 

 the previous mentioned articles will fill many of the 

 gaps. Marguerites are a splendid thing to use in ~) in., 

 C in. or 7 in. pots. Lilies seem to be (at least part of 

 them ) on the way but with the increase of cost on 

 freights they no doubt will be scarce. Genistas, pot roses, 

 calceolarias and heaths are splenrlid for early and mid- 

 season and many other things could be started from 

 seed now. Of course, we must have things that are 

 produced in this country and it will be up to each 

 grower to find ways and means in the pot-l>lant line to 

 fill the vacancies. 3Iuch of that material can be pro- 

 cured now in small sizes and grown on while the weath- 

 er is mild, and this should be done as quickly as pos- 

 sible to be on the safe side. 



Waverh'i/. .l/(/.s-.s. 



The present situation and out-look in regard to forc- 

 ing supply of Dutch bulbs threatens to be one of the 

 most serious blows the florists have received so far. In 

 jilants such as azaleas and other varieties the trade had 

 some conception consideralile in advance that nune 

 would come and most growers immediately started to 

 fill the gap with cyclamen, poinsettias, peppers, 

 hydrangeas, cherries, primulas, heathers and other var- 

 ieties to meet the shortage but in bulbs it's different. 

 We shall miss our ])ans of tulips and hyacinths and 

 spring flowers (as most bulbous flowers were termed) 

 coming in during the winter and spring months. To 

 most florists a crop of bulbous flowers from Christmas 

 to Easter was tlieir jirincipal mainstay to have flowers 

 on hand. A great many, es])('cially those not ha\ing 

 facilities to grow roses or carnations on a large enough 

 scale to meet their requirements, will suffer most as 

 they are most dei'endent on th'' bulbous flowers, also it 

 will liave its effect on the retailer as nothing was so 

 welcome to the retailers as the great variety bulbous 

 flowers afford. They relieve the monotony of the all- 

 year loses and carnations. Their appearance bright- 



Although I have been out of the plant trade fd- a 

 good many yeai-s I do wish to see this country inde- 

 pendent of the other side with plants or bulbs, and the 

 sooner the better. .\ way should be found to produce 

 in our vast country anything needed in our markets. 



('. W. Ward lias shown us that azaleas and bulbs cm 

 be grown here and if our government would co-opejate 

 witb us and allow enough cheap labor to come in and 

 hel[i us to develop this new industry it would be a good 

 thing, a great step forward. The S. A. F. & 0. II., 

 should take up this matter and work out a plan. 



With hydrangeas, Fi-ench and Otaksa, solamnns, 

 jiriTiiulas of all sorts and a lot of othei' plants that can 

 be made available I'oi- our markets we should be able 

 to get along very well without the usual importations 

 of former years. We have many sorts of plants that 

 can be developed to take the place of the imported 

 stock, but it seems to me that we have gotten into a 



rut and just ilciicndrd on the iniiini'f;i(Inii-;. l)ci-;iusp if 



was easier. 



"^^iV! 



(ril)soniii. Pfi. 



