HORTICULTURE 



Vol. XXXI 



JANUARY 10, 1920 



No. 2 



THE TALK OF THE TRADE 



There was a time when the carna- 

 tion known as Philadelphia was often 

 sold for Ward, but that game cannot 

 be played now, for dealers have become 

 familiar with it. Philadelphia makes 

 a splendid looking flower, but is ex- 

 ceedingly soft, so that it is almost 

 worthless for shipping purposes. It 

 has its uses, however, as I learned the 

 other day when talking with Myron P. 

 Ford. East Weymouth, Mass. Mr. 

 Ford sail! that he always had some of 

 the Philadelphias coming along and 

 that for local trade and in making up 

 funeral pieces they were very satis- 

 factory indeed. He wouldn't try to 

 ship them, of course, but found them 

 worth growing for a private trade. 



Since finding Philadelphia well 

 grown with Mr. Ford, I learn that Mr. 

 Fred C. Hoffman, East Ave.. Pawtuck- 

 et. and Leominster Floral Co. of Leo- 

 minster, are also growing this variety, 

 and with very good results, for retail 

 trade, and it is proving entirely satis- 

 factory. 



Not long ago a prominent carnation 

 man spoke of a grower in Connecticut 

 who was still putting out Thomas W. 

 Lawson and doing well with it, too. 

 This reminded another old timer of 

 the days when the Lawson carnation 

 was introduced. He said that on one 

 occasion Peter Fisher came into his 

 establishment carrying a single speci- 

 men of the new carnation in a small 

 box with a glass front. The lid was 

 fastened with lock and key, so precious 

 was the flower considered. The box 

 was to be shipped to a gentleman in 

 the west, and Mr. Fisher was exhibit- 

 ing the flower before it started on its 

 way. Certainly the appearance of the 

 Thomas W. Lawson marked an epoch 

 In carnation growing. It is seldom 

 that a new variety is so far ahead of 

 other kinds as was the Lawson at the 

 time, and speaking of old varieties, it 

 is particularly interesting to the carna- 

 tion grower who likes to keep up to 

 date with the old as well as the new 

 to note that Backer & Co. of Billerica 

 are one of the few growers doing Win- 

 sor very well. Backer & Co. are al- 

 ways ready to grow the popular varie- 



ties if they give the right returns. It 

 only goes to prove that Winsor with 

 them is giving good results or they 

 would not continue growing it. 



How many times do we say to our- 

 selves that next year we -will avoid the. 

 mistakes we have made this year in 

 some particular crop. We are all too 

 apt to make good resolutions to avoid 

 at least partial failures for the coming 

 season, but when the time arrives 

 something else has taken our attention 

 and we forget it. I have in mind 

 particularly now the way the average 

 grower bandies his poinsettia stock. 

 How often do we find that when we 

 take the first batch of cuttings that 

 we started the stock plants altogether 

 too late. A great many florists, with- 

 out thinking what a flexible date they 

 have set, plan to start the old stock 

 plants that are dried off underneath 

 the benches after the Easter rush Is 

 over. To my mind that is not a safe 

 plan unless Easter is very early. Why 

 not start the poinsettia stock about 

 the middle of March or the first of 

 April at the latest? If you haven't 

 room on the benches in full light un- 

 til the Easter stock is out of the way, 

 they certainly can be straightened up 

 along the front edges on the ground, 

 given careful watering and allowed to 

 start with a slow root action and there- 

 by fatten the wood gradually and in a 

 good healthy way. Then as soon as 

 you have the space put the plants on 

 the benches and carry them along in 

 pots if preferred, but to my mind the 

 better way is to plant ri,ght into the 

 soil which is not very rich. If you 

 start them this way and above all give 

 them a good early start, you will not 

 need to force them, have a much hard- 

 er cutting to put into the sand and will 

 get a better percentage from the propa- 

 gating beds. The very early stock can 

 be cut bad;, these plants used for 

 larger pots well branched, and the cut- 

 tings carried on for later uses. 



It is Interesting to find that some 

 growers who cut out violets several 

 years ago are growing them again. If 

 you are starting with these flowers, 

 don't make the mistake of giving them 

 too much water at this season. Yet 



it is well to remember that the surface 

 soil is sometimes damp when that be- 

 low is too dry. Moisture close to the 

 roots is what violets like, and even 

 temporary dryness will injure them, 

 besides opening the way for red 

 spider. You will get the best results 

 by keeping the single violets down to 

 about forty degrees night temperature. 

 The doubles on the other hand do best 

 with a temperature of from forty-two 

 to forty-five, for then they open up 

 better. Higher temperature causes 

 trouble by increasing the leaf growth. 

 Green fly is likely to bother but should 

 be fought with tobacco stems or some 

 one of the nicotine preparations such 

 as are advertised in Hobticultitie 

 rather than by heavy fumigation, 

 which is bad for violets. Nicotine pa- 

 pers apparently can be used with safe- 

 ty, but the most satisfactory way from 

 all points of view to clean out green 

 fly, to say nothing of the more serious 

 trouble, white fly, is by the use of 

 cyanide. Gas fumigation, if properly 

 done, leaves no ill effects and it is 

 particularly important in growing 

 violets to retain their fragrance- This 

 is possible by the use of cyanide. 

 Remember that violets like fresh air 

 and give the house proper ventilation 

 with frequent changes of air. 



I don't understand why there isn't 

 more Wallflower grown. It isn't difll- 

 cult to handle, brings a good average 

 price right through the season, and 

 must be satisfactory to the retail cus- 

 tomers as it is an all round flower 

 combining those good qualities such as 

 keeping, fine coloring and spicy frag- 

 rance. Mr. Peterson of Framingham 

 brought in the best lot I have seen this 

 season. 



HORTICULTURAL CLUB 

 BOSTON. 



OF 



The regular monthly meeting of the 

 Horticulture Club of Boston was held 

 at the Parker House Wednesday night. 

 The principle speaker was E. I. Far- 

 rington. editor of Hobticultube. Pres- 

 ident E. H. Wilson was in the chair 

 and the distinguished guests included 

 President Miller of S. A. F. and Mr. 

 Engelmann, the famous carnation 

 grower of England. 



