HORTICULTURE 



Vol. XXX 



NOVEMBER 15, 1919 



No. 20 



THE TALK OF THE TRADE 



The commercial value of the very 

 early chrysanthemums which made 

 their appearance in the Chicago mar- 

 ket last year in August, as compared 

 to this year when the early varieties 

 came in much later, is being tested be- 

 cause of circumstances beyond their 

 control and not through any will of 

 the growers. In both years the quality 

 of the stock was considered good for 

 early flowers. Last year the market 

 could not be said to be ready for chrys- 

 anthemums in August and many had 

 to be sold at a low price. Later on 

 the extreme demand, owing to the in- 

 fluenza brought prices up to where the 

 early sales showed to still greater dis- 

 advantage. A normal chrysanthe- 

 mum season in Chicago Is about ten 

 weeks. This year the season will be 

 much shorter, some growers anticipa- 

 ting only seven weeks. 



Wholesalers whose years of experi- 

 ence make their opinions of much 

 value, say the best results generally 

 are obtained when Golden Glow ap- 

 pears about Sept. 10 while others put 

 the date Oct. 1st. So far nothing has 

 appeared to rival that splendid early 

 variety Golden Glow, originated by 

 Elmer D. Smith, of Adrian, Mich., and 

 which growers declare has lost none of 

 its vigor with the years. When that 

 time comes, if ever, let us hope Mr. 

 Smith will have another one to take 

 its place. 



Why can't we have a little advice 

 and information from the expert plant 

 growers regarding the various troubles 

 which are met with in growing cycla- 

 men? Cyclamen is without doubt the 

 most popular Christmas plant. It is 

 grown in increasingly large numbers 

 every year and Is better liked by the 

 buying public than ever before. It Is a 

 difficult plant to handle nevertheless, 

 and from the time the seed germinates 

 until a few weeks before marketing 

 the grower is going through a series of 

 troubles such as club root, mite, thrip 

 and fungi diseases. Few growers find 

 steady success; some do wonderfully 

 well a few years and then for a few 

 years they fall. Why don't some of 

 you cyclamen growers who have gone 

 through these troubles give the other 

 fellow a few words regarding your ex- 

 perience and suggestions in fighting 

 these difficulties? We all read about 



the troubles of the chrysanthemum 

 and the rose, and the growers handling 

 those crops are certainly benefited 

 through an exchange of views. Let u s 

 get together and see if we can't do 

 something for the cyclamen growers. 



any plant popular, care must be taken 

 to turn them over to the customer in 

 such a way that they have a fair 

 chance of living and doing well in the 

 house. 



Another fine Christmas plant is 

 Erica melanthera. probably the easiest 

 of the Ericas to grow and also prob 

 ably as satisfactory as any. Some 

 growers carry their stock through the 

 summer in the field, lifting them in 

 September and then keep them in a 

 close temperature for two or three 

 weeks. When potting, it is recom- 

 mended by one very successful grower 

 that the soil be crowned high above 

 the edge of the pot. This avoids the 

 danger of over-watering. As every- 

 body knows, red spider is particularly 

 fond of Erica, consequently continued 

 syringing is necessary and unless the 

 soil is high and will permit the water 

 to run off instead of staying in the pot, 

 a serious condition will exist which 

 the Erica will not stand. They do not 

 want to be overwet at the roots. This 

 idea will work out nicely providing, 

 however, that before sending the 

 plants to the stores the soil is rimmed 

 out, as when the plants get into the 

 private homes they are not apt to be 

 overwatered and there must be some 

 room to take care of the water neces- 

 sary in the home. In order to keep 



I have heard a number of comments 

 from different fern growers to the ef- 

 fect that the new Fern Macawii could 

 not be a sport of Scottii. Thinking 

 this would be a matter of interest, I 

 decided to write to Macaw Bros, and 

 they answer as follows: 



"It is a sport of Scottii. We have 

 had several sports of Teddy, Jr., some- 

 thing like it but not near so good, all 

 of which we have discarded. We have 

 seen one or two other sports around 

 Philadelphia just like some of the ones 

 we discarded. They were much slower 

 in growth and not quite so much crest 

 to the frond nor so strong. You speak 

 of some of the growers not thinking it 

 possible to be a sport of Scottii. I 

 don't see that there is anything impos- 

 sible about it, when crested varieties 

 have sported from the plain-leaved 

 types." 



Samuel F. Lilley has sold out his in- 

 terest in the Chalfont Cut Flower Co.. 

 Chalfont, Pa., to Peter Hellberg. Mr. 

 Hellberg is now the sole owner of the 

 company which has about 18 acres of 

 land and a nice range of greenhouses 

 at this point which is considered one 

 of the best locations in Bucks County 

 for carnations, sweetpeas and similar 

 crops. 



KriraN in Kive-inrh 



