MEMORIAL DAY 179 



WIDE RANGE OF STOCK FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY IN MAY 



Almost anything in the line of such stock as sells for Mother's 

 Day Sweet Peas, Snapdragons, Calendulas, annual Larkspur, 

 Lupines, Stocks, Schizanthus, Gladioli, double Cornflowers, Darwin 

 Tulips, Forget-me-nots, Pansies, etc. can be had without much 

 trouble. Not only that, but quite a number of bedding plants can 

 be disposed of. Anything in flower will find a ready market and 

 you can obtain twice as much for a well-grown Geranium in bloom 

 that day as you can three weeks after. Many people will not object 

 to paying $1.50 for a pan with three Geraniums in it and a crepe 

 paper pot-cover, whereas they will refuse to pay that much for 

 six Carnations, on which there is nothing like the same profit for the 

 man who has to purchase his flowers in the wholesale market and 

 pay fifteen or eighteen dollars per 100. You can make up attrac- 

 tive pans of Gloire de Chatelaine Begonias with plants out of your 

 bedding stock in 3^s and the same holds good with dwarf Ager- 

 atums. There is no reason why you can't have tuberous-rooted 

 Begonias in full bloom at that time from bulbs started in early 

 February or even later. The large fringed Petunias are good and 

 Fuchsias sell well. Hydrangeas kept in a 50-deg. house will not 

 come in for Easter, but will be at their best in early May and are 

 fine for those wanting a more expensive plant. The same holds good 

 with Baby Rambler Roses. Instead of trying to get them in for 

 Easter, with not the best of heating facilities, why not let them 

 come along for Mother's Day when there is demand for them and 

 a shortage of such stock. Overcome the shortage of cut flowers by 

 working up a stock of flowering plants. People with limited means 

 and who have little gardens will buy almost anything in the line 

 of bedding stock for Mother's Day to be planted out later on. 

 With houses that can be kept at 50 deg. during cold weather, 

 formosum Lilies can be had in bloom by early May and will bring 

 as good if not better prices than at Easter. 



Pansies sell well, particularly if you make up inexpensive 

 baskets with them. In fact, they are among the very best things 

 to have. Get baskets of the proper shades and fill each one solid with 

 just one color yellow, blue, or white. Myosotis Victoria has a 

 dwarf, compact habit of growth and large blue flowers and gives 

 ideal pot plants. They will be in full bloom in the coldframes by the 

 first of May and don't mind the lifting at all. The above doesn't 

 i nearly cover all the stock that sells readily at Mother's Day, but 

 any retail grower can select and grow enough of it to keep him busy. 



OTHER FLOWER DAYS 



1MEXT perhaps, in importance, to Christmas, Easter, Mother's 

 * ^ Day and Memorial Day, we have Thanksgiving, St. Valentine's 

 Day and Armistice Day. And there are still other special 



