HORTICULTURE 



Vol. XXX 



SEPTEMBER 20, 1919 



No. 12 



THE TALK OF THE TRADE 



A prominent man in the trade and 

 one who usually knows what he is 

 talking about predicts that the prices 

 of gladiolus bulbs America will go to 

 $30.00. Inasmuch as they have been 

 down to $12.00, this may seem like a 

 difficult prediction to understand. The 

 fact is, though, that the supply of 

 Americas has become strangely low. 

 It is such an easy bulb to grow and 

 has been so common during the past 

 few years that stocks have been ne- 

 glected, with the result that the mar- 

 ket has been found unexpectedly short. 

 This still remains one of the most 

 popular, if not the best, of all of the 

 florists' gladioli, and the demand con- 

 tinues very heavy. Undoubtedly many 

 growers will begin to stock up, but 

 they are likely to find the prices of 

 the bulbs higher than some varieties 

 usually considered more expensive. 



Speaking of "glads," it is interest- 

 ing to find that some of the finest 

 varieties, such for example as Halley, 

 have been almost a drug on the mar- 

 ket for several weeks past, while 

 Augusta, which at first blush would 

 seem to be a much less desirable sort, 

 has sold heavily. For several years 

 past the sale of Augusta has always 

 been large during the fall. The ex- 

 planation is that it is a light colored 

 variety which is best for funeral work. 

 Panama has also sold well and has 

 brought three or four cents more than 

 Halley. 



The demand for roses has continued 

 heavy all through the summer. In few 

 markets has there been a surplus. If 

 we had only the roses which were on 

 the market a few years ago, probably 

 the story would be a different one. 

 When the single Killarneys and a few 

 other poor keepers were relied upon 

 the summer trade always slumped. 

 Now, however, the market is filled 

 with much stronger and more endur- 

 ing kinds, such as Columbia, Maryland 

 and Premier, with the double white 

 Killarney. This very fact that the 

 summer trade in roses has been sus- 

 tained justifies all of the time and at- 

 tention which have been required to 

 produce roses of the high character 

 shown by those mentioned. It is ex- 



pected that some of the newer roses 

 being put out this year will be good 

 enough to add to the list. 



Perhaps florists will remember that 

 at a meeting some time ago Henry 

 Penn said that the Christmas market 

 was always short of yellow. It had 

 plenty of green and plenty of white, 

 but yellow, which could always be ob- 

 tained at Thanksgiving and at Easter, 

 was lacking. This lack is being sup- 

 plied by Solanum Orange Queen. This 

 splendid cherry, which was originally 

 put out by Carl Hagenburger, is a 

 sport of Cleveland and has identically 

 the same foliage and habits of growth. 

 The berries, however, are orange 

 colored and make a fine display. Up 

 to this year the plant has not been 

 seen generally in the trade in New 

 England, but its distribution is much 

 wider this season, and many florists 

 will be showing it, both at Thanksgiv- 

 ing and at Christmas this year. 



Reports from plant growers show 

 that orders are being placed much 

 earlier than last year, when dealers 

 found it very difficult to get what they 

 wanted, especially in the line of small 

 plants, when the holidays were close 

 at hand. This is going to be better for 

 all hands, and will prevent a rush of 

 business at a time when it is difficult 

 to handle, as well as prevent much 

 disappointment. Apparently the de- 

 mand is going to be very large. 



It seems rather strange that so few 

 retail florists are familiar with aspara- 

 gus elongatus, which is sometimes 

 called the cut-and-come-again aspara- 

 gus. This is a plant which is worthy 

 of more general use. Perhaps it would 

 not pay anybody to raise it in a large 

 way, but a few plants will keep the 

 retail florist supplied with a good 

 green at all seasons, for the plant 

 makes new growth very rapidly. There 

 is an increasing call for this aspara- 

 gus, and it is recommended especially 

 to retail florists in the smaller places 

 who have houses of their own. One 

 large grower in Georgia has just 

 ordered a big supply from W. A. 

 Manda, of New Jersey, and will grow 

 it commercially. 



RED CROSS CARNATION BECOMES 

 ETHEL FISHER. 



As the Red Cross Society objects to 

 its name being used in a commercial 

 way, the name "Red Cross," given to 

 the new red carnation has been 

 dropped, and the name "Ethel Fisher" 

 substituted. It will be known in the 

 future under the new name. 



In his circular, Mr. Peter Fisher, of 

 Ellis, Mass., the introducer, gives this 

 description: 



Ethel Fisher is the result of three 

 generations of seedlings commencing 

 with Beacon and Mr. C. W. Ward's 

 Crimson No. 211. The color is a 

 bright glowing red, like Beacon at its 

 best. The plant has a healthy, upright, 

 open habit of growth, producing early 

 and freely on long, stiff, wiry stems, 

 uniform flowers that average 3% 

 inches, supported by a strong calyx 

 that rarely bursts. 



BOSTON GARDENERS' AND FLOR- 

 ISTS' CLUB. 



The Boston Gardeners' and Florists' 

 Club held the first meeting of the sea- 

 son at Horticultural Hall Tuesday 

 evening. It was mostly an experience 

 meeting, several members telling of 

 their summer trips. Herman Bartsch 

 gave an interesting account of his 

 visit to Detroit to attend the S. A. F. 

 convention. Those present were inter- 

 ested to hear what he had to say about 

 the greenhouses of Detroit, which do 

 not seem to be as well stocked as some 

 of those in the East. Mr. Andrew 

 Christensen, of Stoneham, told of his 

 trip to Florida and other southern 

 states. He said it is difficult to grow 

 commercial flowers — to compare with 

 those of the North. Southern carna- 

 tions are not a success. Even gladioli 

 and asters are sent in from the North, 

 and the roses grown there soon lose 

 their size. Mr. Jas. Wheeler talked in- 

 terestingly about private estates which 

 he had visited in Rhode Island, Con- 

 necticut and New York. 



An award of merit was voted to the 

 L. J. Reuter Company for Nephrolepis 

 Macawi, and honorable mention to W. 

 N. Craig, Faulkner Farm, for collec- 

 tion of peaches, Artemisia lactiflora 

 and seedling gladiolus primulinus. 



