82 



The Florists' Review 



Apbil 13, 1016. 



SPOBTS OF BENOBA. 



Please let me know what is the par- 

 entage of Carnation Benora, I have 

 had three sports from Benora this sea- 

 son. The first one was bright red, with 

 a white center; it is a perfect bloom, 

 measuring three and one-half inches 

 across. The second sport was a pure 

 red, of about the same shade as Herald, 

 but the bloom is of the same form as 

 Benora, good and full, and I think the 

 stem is better. The third sport is not 

 far enough open to show whether it 

 will be all red or not. We have propa- 

 gated the first two, and if the third 

 pleases us we shall also propagate it. 

 Would you advise taking up these 

 sports and potting them? 



M. C. F. H.— Mich, 



The parentage of Carnation Benora 

 is unknown, according to the registra- 

 tion made by the raiser. If .those sports 

 of yours appear to be of value, I would 

 suggest that you propagate them and, 

 at the first opportunity, show blooms at 

 a meeting of the American Carnation 

 Society, so as to compare them with 

 existing varieties. Benora has sported 

 with many growers. Red sports of it 

 are quite common and it has also 

 sported j)ure white on at least three 

 places. A. F. J. B. 



PETEB FISHEB BEPUES. 



In a British trade paper, M. C. All- 

 wood, a carnation grower who spent 

 some years in America before starting 

 in the business in England, recently 

 berated recent American introductions 

 and sought to show that they are not 

 so good as earlier varieties. He paid 

 special respects to two of Peter Fisher 's 

 recent introductions and drew the fol- 

 lowing reply from that usually taci- 

 turn gentleman: 



"Of my two last introductions, 

 Gorgeous and Alice, he writes of the 

 former as 'the greatest of all recent 

 American fallacies.' Let him call it a 

 failure if he wishes, but not a ' fallacy. ' 

 It was not offered to the trade as a 

 commercial variety, as that term is im- 

 plied, but as one of strictly high grade, 

 either where an extra price could be ob- 

 tained at retail, or as an exhibition 

 «ort. Small growers who asked my 

 opinion of it were repeatedly advised 

 . not to invest in it, unless they could 

 obtaiin an extra price. Its 'failure' 

 was caused by '-flaking off' to a lighter 

 shade of pink in midwinter, something 

 beyond one's control in a cerise va- 

 riety at times. Alice was not sent out 

 as the equivalent of Enchantress in all 

 respects, as Mr. AUwood's comparison 

 would seem to imply, or in other words, 

 as an exhibition sort (although it has 

 ■been awarded premiums over Enchant- 

 ress during the present season), but 

 ras 'a commercial acquisition' of supe- 

 rior color and far more productive. 

 As to being 'inferior to May Day in 

 every single respect,' the reverse is 



true over here, for many of our best 

 growers who discarded May Day after 

 a single trial, are largely increasing 

 their plantings of Alice for next sea- 

 son. The color of May Day is ex- 

 quisite, but the smooth-edged petal, 

 showing a tendency to incurve, could 

 not be tolerated by the American buy- 

 ers, and let me here state this has been 

 the cause of failure with several Brit- 

 ish raised varieties when tested over 

 here. The American grower is not 

 prejudiced against British raised varie- 

 ties, but the fact remains that so far 

 we have failed to find them of commer- 

 cial value to us." 



have only one plant that shows this 

 yellow streak. The other blooms on the 

 plant seem to have more yellow in them 

 than this one. Is this a distinct variety 

 or simply variegated with pink and yel- 

 low? It has a good stem, about the 

 same as that of Mrs. Ward. Would you 

 consider it of any commercial value? 

 We have never before seen one marked 

 just like it. We have a few cuttings of 

 it. What is your opinion about propa- 

 gating it? W. D. & C. G. B.— Ind. 



I have not 

 stance of Mrs, 

 same manner 

 are partly yello; 

 have little eo, 

 would suggest 

 cuttings you 



VABIEOATED SPOBT OF WABD. 



We are sending you by parcel post a 

 carnation bloom which we found among 

 our stock of Mrs. C. W. Ward. We 



d of any other in- 

 ard sporting in the 

 iyours. Blooms that 

 d partly pink would 

 rcial value, • but I 

 ft you grow on what 

 propagated. They 

 will likely continue to produce pink 

 and yellow blooms and perchance there 

 will appear one of a solid, clear yellow. 

 If so, preserve it, as it will undoubtedly 

 prove to be of commercial value, pro- 

 viding the yellow is of a clear golden 

 hue. Yellow Prince is at present the 

 best yellow, but it lacks in size, and a 

 variety of the same color as Yellow 

 Prince and of the size and habit of 

 Mrs. Ward would certainly be an 

 acquisition. A. F. J. B. 



'♦^.^•^.'»^. '^^S^W' 



i 



NOTES ON Mg 

 EASTER PLANTS 



I 



f 



r^^-^^^-^^-^^-^^^\k9^-^:^-^ ^-^^-<d,9^-'y,9'>'^^-^,^-U^-'^.^-^^9^-^c9^-^:^'^c9' 



Precautions and Sales Factors. 



It is not safe to assume that, because 

 Easter comes at almost the latest pos- 

 sible date this year, we are sure to have 

 warm and settled weather then, and 

 that Easter plants will need little wrap- 

 ping and can be exposed almost with 

 impunity. The probabilities are that, as 

 we have already had so much winter, 

 we can reasonably look for mild, spring- 

 like weather this season, but it will be 

 well to provide an abundance of wrap- 

 ping material in case it is needed. Wrap- 

 ping is going to cost a great deal more 

 this year, owing to the heavy advance 

 in the price of paper. Do not, however, 

 stint on necessary covering on the false 

 grounds of economy. 



It is to be assumed that all salable 

 plants will have their pots washed in 

 advance. It is poor policy to leave this 

 important , work until the plants are 

 actually needed. Have not only the 

 sides and rims but also the bottoms of 

 the pots and pans well washed. A plant 

 of only fair quality in a soiled pot will 

 be hard to sell, but such a plant in a 

 clean receptacle will be found quite 

 salable. Be tare to stake plants need- 

 ing it before sending them out. Use 

 green stakes and green raffia; the lat- 

 ter costs more than ordinary raffia, but 

 is so inconspicuous that it should be 

 more used. In sending out gardenias, 

 orchids or any other choice plants with 

 flowers rather easily damaged, use cot- 

 ton wool to protect each flower prop^ 

 erly. 



The Easter Lilies. 



While white-flowering plants are not 



as popular for Easter as some years 

 ago, the Easter lily remains the plant 

 that meets with much the largest sale 

 and it probably will remain so. With 

 so late an Easter there should be little 

 excuse for plants not flowering on time. 

 It is the best plan to allow the plants 

 to open their blooms a little before 

 Easter. It is easy holding such plants 

 back in a cool greenhouse, pit or cellar. 

 Laggards should be placed at once in 

 a hot, moist house, freely syringed, 

 given all possible sun and, if the ven- 

 tilators can be closed about 2:30 each 

 afternoon and the house saturated with 

 moisture, it is surprising how fast the 

 buds will develop. Prices on lilies are 

 low after Easter, hence it pays to get 

 every possible plant in for April 23. 

 For cutting, the Formosa lily, with its 

 long stems, is far superior to L. longi- 

 florum giganteum, and is of particular 

 value in the chancels of churches, for 

 which the giganteums are too dwarf. 

 Such candidum lilies as appear are in 

 a cut state, but it is well to state that 

 for church decorations L. candidum, 

 with its immaculate purity, is far su- 

 perior to all other lilies, not when 

 grown in small pots, one bulb to a pot, 

 but by using five to seven bulbs in 8- 

 inch to 10-inch pots. 



In making up large pots or pans of 

 Easter lilies, the work is best done just 

 before the flowers are open. Do not 

 pick all stalks of a uniform height, or 

 the plants will present a decidedly flat 

 and a too crowded appearance. Shake 

 the soil well away when making up 

 these plants, but keep the roots intact. 

 When they are made up be sure that 



