HORTICULTURE 



Vol. XXXI 



FEBRUARY 14, 1920 



No. 7 



THE TALK OF THE TRADE 



I had quite a nice talk witli Carl 

 Hagenburger while in Chicago and 

 succeeded in getting what I went af- 

 ter. I doubt if very many florists in 

 the country know just how he suc- 

 ceeds in having for market In the 

 fall and through the winter such fine 

 plants of his different cherries and 

 always in the small sizes. I know 

 anyone can grow them large, but 

 that isn't what we want. The store- 

 man likes- the small plants, three to 

 four and one-half inch pots, and I 

 made up my mind some time back 

 that I would try to get Mr. Hagen- 

 burger to give me the secret of grow- 

 ing these in small sizes. Here it is: 

 It isn't much, it isn't complicated, it 

 is simply what anyone can do if they 

 wish. 



Don't pinch. From the time the 

 seed is sown until marketed, the 

 plants should never be pinched. Mr. 

 Hagenburger sows his seed during 

 January, carries them along in small 

 pots until the ground is open, and 

 then plants into the field in rows 

 the same as you would plant field- 

 grown carnations, and avoids always 

 heavily fertilized ground. As a mat- 

 ter of fact, cherries do better when 

 grown on a light sandy soil with very 

 little feed. In the fall when the 

 plants are taken from the field they 

 are immediately potted, and if there 

 is a little bottom heat they will do 

 better, as this will stop them from 

 dropping the foliage. 



Of course they can be raised from 

 cuttings but do not give such an even 

 well-shaped plant. I counted several 

 of the plants that he had on exhibi- 

 tion at the Chicago show: for In- 

 stance, he had one plant in a four- 

 inch pot that carried 66 berries. The 

 plant stood only about six inches 

 above the pot with very close to a 

 twelve-inch spread. Another one in 

 a three-inch pot stood four inches 

 above the pot, spread close to seven 

 inches and carried 37 berries. These 

 were of his new variety Holly berry, 

 which Is a seedling of Cleveland 

 crossed with Melvinil. The berries 

 are somewhat smaller than Cleveland 

 and a trifle darker in color, very 

 close to the true holly berry color. 



Carnation Ruth Baur gives great 

 promise for the commercial grower 

 and I certainly hope it fulfils all the 

 predictions I have heard maiie. Not 

 one of the carnation experts with 

 whom I have talked has failed to ex- 

 press himself favorably towards this 

 new variety, and if it comes anywhere 

 near to filling the good promises made, 

 it will be a welcome addition to the 

 list. Being a cross between Northport 

 and Pink Delight, it has good parent- 

 age. You will remember that North- 

 port was a very good grower; as a 

 plant it had good commercial points, 

 being a mighty strong grower in every 

 way. We all know the good points of 

 Pink Delight, and as to color, it comes 

 into a class where a good one is needed. 

 A good Gloriosa pink shade will find 

 a ready welcome. From all indications 

 now, Ruth Baur will be heavily grown 

 for a number of years to come. 



The Retailers" Night of the Boston 

 Florists' Association has brought to 

 my mind a number of points which I 

 am going to bring out at the risk of 

 starting an argument with either or 

 lioth sides. 



To begin with, the strong complaint 

 from the retailers seems to be against 

 the salesmen selling at retail in the 

 market. As a matter of right or wrong, 

 1 think the sale.sman are wrong. It 

 is a practice which is not indulged in 

 among wholesale markets in general. 

 It isn't deemed wise or fair in many 

 other cities; in fact in some places 

 wholesalers catering to the retail store 

 trade would find themselves in difficul- 

 ties very soon if they followed out this 

 practice. 



On the other hand, isn't the retailer 

 making quite a big story of this partic- 

 ular point? We will admit that it is 

 wrong, but these discussions were 

 started for the sake of helping condi- 

 tions in general, and it isn't going to 

 help matters such a great deal if only 

 one small point is worked on and more 

 helpful ones forgotten. I wonder if 

 the grower, who is the one mainly to 

 be considered, hasn't a right to expect 

 a strong cooperation with the retailer? 

 Cut flowers must be high in price 

 under present conditions. While the 

 market is high, matters come nearer 

 to adjusting themselves than when the 

 Spring, summer and fall months come 

 along and there is an oversupply. How 

 about devising ways and means of 



C.*RN.*TION KITH B.IVK. 



