506 



HORTICULTURE 



March 13, 1920 



tinue to sell in greatest numbers. 

 Everybody knows America and buys 

 It, although as a matter of fact there 

 are other better kinds for forcing, as 

 for example. Glory of Holland. To be 

 sure the latter Is classed as white 

 with a slight tinting of pink, hut 

 America usually comes pretty light 

 when forced under glass. A consid- 

 erable per cent, of Americas are pretty 

 apt to come blind, which is a disad- 

 vantage not possessed by some of the 

 other kinds. 



Brenchleyensis, one of the first 

 kinds to be forced, would still be 

 grown very widely if the bulbs could 

 be obtained freely. Its name Insures 

 Its sale, and yet it, too, is distinctly 

 Inferior to other kinds for forcing, 

 although this much should be said to 

 its credit — almost every bud opens, 

 Indoors or out. 



One of the now popular forcing va- 

 rieties, Halley, can hardly be im- 

 proved upon, although it doesn't sell 

 as well as it should. Likewise Pan- 

 ama, Peace and Augusta are extra 

 good florists' flowers. Mr. B. Ham- 

 mond Tracy has selected a number of 

 others which he considers of great 

 value to the florist for commercial 

 purposes, the list Including Chicago 

 White, Dawn, a fine color pink with 

 good keeping Ciualities, Dellce, which 

 is forced quickly. Independence, a 

 brilliant begonia-pink flower, Lily 

 White, which Mr. Meader of Dover 

 bought from Kunderd and Is featuring, 

 May, white lightly flecked with crim- 

 son. Myrtle, clear delicate rose pink. 

 Niagara, yellow, ind Willie Wigman, 

 blush. 



Like many of the growers, Mr. Tracy 

 is putting out a new white, although 

 it is not likely to be taken up by 

 florists at present, as the bulbs cost 

 five dollars each. This variety is 

 called Madonna, and is pure white 

 even to the anthers, while most of the 

 so-called whites have some other 

 tints. According to Mr. Tracy many 

 of the florists do not know how to 

 grow gladioli under glass to best ad- 

 vantage. For one thing they often do 

 not plant the bulbs deeply enough. 

 The right depth, he says, is about four 

 inches, although six inches is none 

 too deep in the open ground. The 

 need of keeping the ground moist Is 

 sometimes overlooked, too. Another 

 mistake sometimes made is expecting 

 to get the best flowers from the 

 biggest bulbs. Oftentimes moderate 

 sized bulbs if perfectly sound give un- 

 surpassed blooms. 



tion. As you all know, the work in 

 connection with this association is now 

 in the hands of a committee and this 

 committee will report at the S. A. F. 

 convention in Cleveland next August 

 and definite plans will be placed be- 

 fore the growers and an association 

 permanently formed with by-laws and 

 officers elected and a grand start Is 

 expected. 



There is no question that this as- 

 sociation will be of great value to the 

 growers and florists around Boston, 

 and they are looking forward to the 

 time when our ex-president, J. Fred 

 Ammann, will visit Boston and assist 

 in the formation of a local branch. 

 Mr. Ammann is covering the country 

 in this work and is coming here from 

 New York where he will be in attend- 

 ance at the International Flower Show. 

 Full particulars and information will 

 be given the Massachusetts florists as 

 to the formation of this local branch 

 and it is advisable for one and all to 

 attend that meeting, which will prob- 

 ably be held March 23d. Arrangements 

 are not yet completed, but enough has 

 been done and we can assure Mr. Am- 

 mann of a big attendance when every, 

 one can hear his plans and fortunately 

 be able to take advantage of work that 

 has previously been done in other sec- 

 tions where many difficulties have been 

 Ironed out. Everything Is going along 

 smoothly now the formation of this as- 

 sociation is assured. 



It is very pleasing to note the inter- 

 est shown by the growers in general 

 around Boston in the formation of the 

 proposed National Growers' Associa- 



THE EASTER OUTLOOK. 



There is every reason to believe that 

 baskets are going to be just as high in 

 favor at Easter as they were at Christ- 

 mas time. Many of the most progres- 

 sive retailers are planning to use these 

 baskets in great numbers because by 

 their aid it is possible to satisfy a cus- 

 tomer with smaller plants and fewer 

 flowers. Mr. Henry Robinson, one of 

 the largest wholesalers and manufac- 

 turers in the East, says that he is 

 having an unprecedented demand for 

 these baskets this year, and that prob- 

 ably thousands will go out from his 

 establishment alone. There are many 

 plants which look well in baskets but 

 Genistas can be handled to especial ad- 

 vantage in this way. Retailers selling 

 genistas, though, should take pains to 

 instruct their customers as to their 

 care if they want the results to be sat- 

 isfactory. In ordinary rooms genistas 

 are prone to drop their flowers very 

 quickly, but if the plants are kept in 

 a cool room and the roots kept moist, 

 the flowers will last fairly well. If you 

 by any chance have spiraeas for sale, 

 tell your customer to keep water stand- 

 ing in the saucer under the plant as 

 long as the flowers exist. This is the 

 one great secret of keeping the spiraeas 



in bloom for a satisfactory length of 

 time. You might also tell your cus- 

 tomer that the plant may be set out In 

 the garden when spring comes. 



Probably you have noticed a distinct 

 tendency away from red roses of the 

 climbing type at Easter and in favor 

 of pink and white sorts. This means 

 that the day of the Crimson Rambler Is 

 over, although it is still sold to some 

 extent. Dorothy Perkins, Tausend- 

 schon and such Baby Ramblers as Mrs. 

 Cutbush, Ellen Poulsen and Baby 

 Dorothy, make most delightful bushy 

 plants which sell freely. Of the other 

 roses, Magna Charta and Prau Karl 

 Druschkl remain high in popularity. 

 Ulrich Brunner and Mrs. John Laing 

 have sold well In recent years. Take 

 care to have these large flowered roses 

 timed so that the blossoms will not be 

 full blown. Customers like them when 

 they are just showing color. 



Apparently the French hydrangea 

 will go far towards taking the place of 

 Azaleas. Perhaps it will help their 

 sale if you explain to your customers 

 that they were originated In the 

 famous Lemolne Nurseries at Nancy, 

 France, where the American soldier 

 first went into the front line trenches, 

 and that for a long time American 

 guns stood between these nurseries 

 and destruction. Fortunately French 

 hydrangeas are not hard to handle, 

 and there is a good stock on hand. 



With Easter coming early, It will 

 not be difficult to have a good stock 

 of bulbous plants ready, and they al- 

 ways sell well at Easter. The enter- 

 prising florist, therefore, will arrange 

 early for a wide and varied stock of 

 plants and have the store filled to over- 

 flowing when the call comes. 



NEW ORCHID SOCIETY. 

 A Meeting to Be Held In Boston Dur- 

 ing the Show. 

 It is believed that the occasion of 

 the big orchid show in Boston, from 

 March 24 to 28, will offer an excellent 

 opportunity for the formation of a 

 National Orchid Society. For some 

 time orchid growers have felt that 

 such an organization was needed, and 

 there seems to be no reason why an 

 orchid society should not be as suc- 

 cessful as the Dahlia Society or the 

 Peony Society. It is expected that a 

 large number of those interested In 

 orchid culture, including some of the 

 most prominent growers in the coun- 

 try, will attend the show, and a meet- 

 ing to discuss organization has been 

 called for Thursday evening, March 

 25, at 7.30 o'clock at Horticultural 

 Hall. If the representation is as large 

 as the originators of the movement 

 hope, the society will come into exis- 

 tence at once. 



