138 



J 1 OKTJCUL T U R E 



.November 22, 1919 



there has been a "bread and butter" 

 carnation put on the market the last 

 few years, I think Morning Glow can 

 bo classed along with the best 



WINTER WINDOW BOXES 



This is the season of the year when 

 Poinsettia has its popularity, and its 

 time is shorter than almost any other 

 popular plant of the year. There sure- 

 ly is an immense quantity to be offered 

 for the holiday trade this year, and al- 

 ready those beautiful combinations of 

 poinsettias, ferns, crotans, begonias, 

 erica and other suitable plants are 

 seen In the greenhouses getting es- 

 tablished in the pans before starting 

 for the store. The last minute made- 

 ups will not stand up with those that 

 have had a few weeks' time to get a 

 foothold. 



Some of the growers think very well 

 of the California poinsettia. They 

 claim it is an easier grower than the 

 common, less inclined to drop its 

 leaves, branches more readily and 

 stands cooler and greater changes in 

 temperature. Those are all good 

 points and I hope they are true. On 

 one point we are sure, the California 

 poinsettia is a heavier grower. 



George M. Geraghty, president of 

 the Canadian Retail Florists' Associa- 

 tion, expects to have a meeting of the 

 Executives about the first of December 

 so that organization may be completed 

 at once and arrangements made for 

 a big convention in Hamilton next 

 year along with the C. H. A. There 

 have been many requests regarding 

 membership in the Retail Association. 

 Others should communicate with the 

 secretary, Silas McFadden. 



It is Interesting to note that many 

 of the hotels as well as other buildings 

 are making free use of outside window 

 boxes filled with winter greenery. As 

 has been said in Hobticuktube before, 

 this work offers an opportunity whicii 

 has been neglected to a considerable 

 extent. There are many occasions on 

 which florists as well as nurserymen 

 might work up a business of this kind. 

 This is looking at the matter in a gen- 

 eral way. But besides the use of the 

 window boxes on business or public 

 buildings there is no reason why they 

 should not be made use of to a far 

 greater extent for private homes. In 

 many instances the owners do not real- 

 ize what can be done to beautify their 

 homes by the use of evergreens, both 

 indoors and out. Many times, no 

 doubt, a suggestion from the head 

 gardener as to what could be done in 

 this way would be appreciated. 



One point to remember is that the 

 box itself is much more in evidence in 

 winter than in summer and that it 

 should harmonize with the exterior 

 decoration of the house. It will not 

 be masked by drooping plants for most 

 of those used in winter will have an 

 upright form of growth. 



Some firms are putting out window 

 boxes with the evergreens arranged in 

 them. These plants have been especi- 

 ally prepared for use in this way. This 

 is an important point because much 

 depends upon the way in which the 

 little trees are removed from the nurs- 

 ery to the box. It is surprising to find 

 the gradation in colors which can be 

 obtained by careful choice of subjects 



Among good little trees may be In- 

 cluded the Colorado blue spruce, sil- 

 very green, the white pine, silvery 

 gray, the Norway spruce, dark green, 

 the red ceder, dark green, the white 

 pine, silvery green, and the American 

 arborvitae, light green. In many In- 

 stances it is preferable to use only 

 one kind of plant, especially in small 

 boxes. Several little spruce or ar- 

 borvitaes, for example, may give a bet- 

 ter effect than a mixture. On the other 

 hand, there are occasions when the 

 effect is heightened by having several 

 different plants used together. The 

 use of evergreens in winter is not con- 

 fined to the outdoor window box, how- 

 ever. There are many kinds which are 

 very attractive when displayed in 

 pots, urns, and jardlneres, either in- 

 doors or out. Perhaps their value as 

 potted plants is not generally recog- 

 nized. Nevertheless they are very 

 satisfactory, especially in homes 

 where the rooms are large and where 

 it is not possible to give much at- 

 tention to the plants. They may be 

 large enough to stand by themselves 

 on the floor or small enough for a 

 place on the table or the window sill. 

 Many of them begin to make growth 

 after being kept indoors for a while 

 and the little new ends are very pretty 

 because of the delightful shades of 

 green which they possess. These little 

 trees are specially to be prized for sun 

 parlors, porches and balconies. They 

 are well adapted for the decoration of 

 hotels, restaurants and the like, and 

 it seems quite probable that more of 

 them would be used if their sale were 

 pushed a little harder. 



N indon Bo\es at Copley l'luztk, lloston 



