April 4, 1914 



HORTICULTUBE 



519 



Cymbidium insigne 



This handsome cymbidium is still quite rare iu culti- 

 vation and no doubt to many still unknown. It was 

 introduced some eight years ago from Annam, where it 

 was found growing along ravines in sandy soil at an 

 elevation of 4,000 to 5,000 feet. In shape the flowers 

 resemble those of C. Lowianum, but the color is a beauti- 

 ful pearly pink throughout, the inside of the lip and 

 the column being ia addition blotched and spotted with 

 rich carmine. The scape grows erect to a height of 

 from three to four and a half feet. The leaves are long 

 and narrow and the pseudo bulbs rather small and 

 nearly round. The blooming season is April and the 

 flowers will remain in perfection for many weeks. 



Here we certainly have a splendid orchid for decora- 

 tive purposes, one which would sell readily if it could 

 be had in quantity, which I hope will be soon. It re- 

 quires a little higher temperature than C. Lowianum 

 and its allies, and a lighter and more open compost. It 

 will be foimd to do well with the cattleyas. 



How We Might Improve 



Conditions in New York for florists are better than in most parts of the civilized world. The 

 same thing is true for the grower, if we did not spoil it ourselves. The grower who grows the stock, 

 the grower who wants to sell the stock, does not always look for the right channel as an outlet, and 

 the retailer who aims to keep up to a certain standard does not help sufficiently that the grower may 

 do that. Xot so much because he does not want to, but because he never thought of it, that wher'- 

 one alone is too weak, two might be strong enough. The public are today so far advanced as 

 flower buyers, that when they have guests they must have flowers on their tables, in their room?, 

 wherever "their place can be improved with flowers. Statistics show that one-third of the flower- 

 sent by the grower to the wholesale market are sold far below the average price. On the other han^l 

 it is plain that the retailer who buys the high-grade stock at full prices has thus to pay for the sX/k-a 

 which is left over. But is it a necessity that stock be left over? By no means. Fifty out of ever} 

 one hundred buyers make it a custom to patronize two florists, one of whom keeps a high-grade stock, ami 

 sells at the standard prices. But when they merely need cut flowers for the house, they go to place? 

 where thev get this stock at prices often far below the wholesale value, so ridiculously low in fact, 

 that a grower would blush if he knew how his stock was sold. Now, these people who buy their 

 arranged flowers, centerpieces, bouquets or other arrangements from good florists would just as readily 

 pay a fair price for their flowers if there were not someone calling to them, '-"We will give you jonqu:I< 

 at 19c. a bunch and we will give you roses at 2.5c. a dozen." These people must have flowers for 

 their houses, not as a luxury, but as a real necessity. They are taught to have flowers as th-y are 

 taught to have their clothes", as a necessity of refined living, and if they could be brought to realize 

 how the florists' business and the growers' "work is degraded, they would not travel between the good ami 

 the poor florist. They would only patronize sound competition and buy from good florists only. 

 Then, if they were not given a chance to learn what surplus is in the market, their business would 

 go steadily to the general trade, which would reduce the leavings in the wholesale market, so that 

 instead of one-third these leavings would not be one-tenth, which the wholesaler has to dispose of at 

 such ridiculously low prices. 



Business prospects for spring are very good. Business was never better. A few have done a 

 smaller business than their average year and they begin to cr\- and other people cry after them, an^i 

 they are so used to crying that they spoil the pleasure of having a good business for others. It is 

 time to wake up and cheer up and take notice that a promising Spring is coming. 



Max Schling. 



