HORTICULTURE 



Vol. XXXII 



JULY 24, 1920 



No. 4 



THE TALK OF THE TRADE 



The prices which are being r«illzed 

 at present for piganteum lilies are not 

 3atisfa(tor>' to the grower and we can 

 only hope for a change ver>' soon for 

 the better. Ten, twelve and fifteen 

 cents per bloom will not pay a margin 

 over the price which the growers have 

 had to pay for their bull)s. Cold stor- 

 age lilies now of 7-9 size will have to 

 do~welI to average better than two 

 flowers, and when the loss of poor 

 bulbs and everything else which must 

 be figured is taken out, there is a 

 loss Instead of a profit on the whole 

 transaction. Retailers can well afford 

 to pay a fair price for lilies. They fill 

 up quickly in all work, make a good 

 showing and are certainly away below 

 their value when they are sold as low 

 as twelve and fifteen cents. 



Of course conditions in the market 

 at present are not favorable to any 

 crop, no matter what the quality may 

 be, but it is a pity that such fine stock 

 of salpiglossis for instance should go 

 without buyers. I have seen beautiful 

 stock in both the Boston and Phila- 

 delphia markets go at ridiculously low 

 prices, and this of course applies to 

 other annuals, but I was tempted to 

 mention salpiglossis particularly as 

 the quality has been above what I 

 have seen in any other season. It is a 

 flower which can be used nicely In 

 many ways and is generally satis- 

 factory. 



I was sorrj- to see at the Budlong 

 range that they are having trouble 

 with what I call a rose beetle. I don't 

 know the correct name but it causes a 

 great deal of damage and is a serious 

 proposition for anyone to overcome. I 

 understand that this has shown up In 

 various parts of the country, par- 

 ticularly in the Middle West and 

 around Philadelphia. Spraying with 

 various poisons seems to be the better 

 way of checking it. On the Budlong 

 place it has shown up only on one 

 range which Is well separated from all 

 the others, and they hope to keep it 



confined to this range until they can 

 get it under control. 



This insect has a habit of eating out 

 the eyes, also working on the foliage. 

 From investigations, they now think 

 that it is the same as the strawberry 

 beetle and they are experimenting 

 with strawberry plants set at intervals 

 througli the houses, and results up to 

 now are very encouraging. If they can 

 trace it to this particular plant as its 

 favorite food, the fight will be simpli- 

 fied. Rose growers will all watch with 

 Interest further results. 



What is the matter with the sweet 

 pea stock grown around Boston? 

 Going through our markets you will 

 find nothing but a lot of Inferior qual- 

 ity. As I came through the markets 

 this past week I don't remember 

 seeing one lot of really good sweet 

 peas. This was evidenced again at the 

 Sweet Pea Show at Horticultural Hall, 

 Boston, last Saturday and Sunday. 

 Philadelphia came forward with some 

 excellent stock. Such people as Bur- 

 ton and Burpee of Philadelphia and 

 Mrs. Riddle of Glen Riddle, Pa., came 

 Into Boston with wonderfully good 

 quality, and I can't understand why 

 good stock can't be grown around 

 here. We have had a cold, late, wet 

 spring which we have always sui)- 

 posed would be just the very best 

 growing conditions for sweet peas. I 

 am sure I can't account for It. 



Just about a year ago at this tiino, 

 William Sim of Cliftondale had his 

 carnation houses planted and stock 

 further advanced than any we knew of 

 anywhere in the East. This year he 

 is again well ahead with not more than 

 two houses left to plant, and these will 

 be finished inside of ten days. This 

 represents a housing of 175,000 plants 

 The early-planted stock is well ad- 

 vanced, in fact some of them are now 

 setting buds, and from one end to the 

 other this place Is in the pink of con- 

 dition. 



.Mr. Sims method of handling young 

 stock froin the potting bench to the 

 planting time is worthy of every car- 

 nation grower's attention. A compari- 

 son of plants In the benches now 

 handled under different methods is 

 very Interesting. Some stock was 

 taken from the sand, placed in flats 

 and from these planted Into the field, 

 while he has handled other blocks by 

 taking right from the sand and plant- 

 ing into soil in beds and from there 

 planting Into the benches in the houses 

 for winter flowering. There is no 

 question at all from his experience and 

 from what one may observe in these 

 houses that the plants which have 

 gone through this system of indoor 

 culture are well in advance of those 

 which were flatted and then placed in 

 the field. Of course this Is only ad- 

 visable in a case where early planting 

 is possible, but Mr. Sim believes 

 tlioroughly in early planting and re- 

 sults tend to prove that he is right. 



It is also worthy of note that he 

 uses a greater depth of soil than the 

 average carnation grower; In many 

 cases twelve inches, and he does not 

 change this soil each year but takes 

 out only enough to make room for well- 

 rotted stable manure which is spaded 

 irras thoroughly as possible. 



Three seedlings have been under 

 observatioh during the past season, 

 namely Kiltie, Gay Gordon and Romeo: 

 the first two variegated sorts and the 

 latter about the shade of Mrs. C. W 

 Ward. The habit of growth is very 

 vigorous, and a fair trial this year may 

 result in one or more of these being 

 put upon the market. 



Secretrtr.v John Witt son 



Pot plants for the coming winter at 

 :he Leominster Floral Co. are showing 

 up in fine shape at this time. A fine 



