16 



The Florists* Review 



October 5, 1916. 



stock, the high price of boxes and de- 

 livery expenses. This plan is good, but 

 to consider it we need the cooperation 

 of the growers and the wholesalers. If 

 the grower was willing to donate some 

 of his overproduction, and the whole- 

 saler the delivery service, then this 

 plan of Mr. Zech's would be a great 

 benefit to trade in general and all three, 

 the grower, the wholesaler and the re- 

 tailer would enjoy a mutually profit- 

 able advertisement. But this adver- 

 tisement, under the conditions which 

 exist now, is impossible. 



Some wholesalers and growers frank- 

 ly are looking for business in depart- 

 ment stores. One concern dealing in 

 florists' supplies and wholesale cut flow- 

 ers employs a lady who is getting in 

 touch with all buyers outside the flo- 

 rists' trade who come to that market 



and this house is doing an immense 

 business with department stores, furni- 

 ture stores, etc. Not long ago, the re- 

 tailers had a chance to sell to those 

 places, but today they have an open 

 market where they can buy goods and, 

 in some cases, at a lower price than the 

 retail florist can. 



Mr. Zech advises cooperation between 

 the grower, wholesaler and retailer. I 

 believe, and many of the retail trade 

 will think the same, that the grower 

 and retailer are willing, but the man 

 between is looking towards department 

 stores business. Some wholesalers even 

 are mailing weekly price lists to all 

 department stores in their territory, 

 many of which never buy cut flowers 

 to sell, but only for the personal use 

 of the management. 



M. W. Uhlschmidt. 



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SEASONABLE SUGGESTIONS 

 FOR SOUTHERN FLORISTS 



CYCLAMENS IN THE SOUTH. 



In the south cyclamens should be 

 ready for their final shift. Where the 

 soil is stiff, red clay it is well to still 

 use a good proportion of leaf -mold with 

 it. Where the soil is naturally of a 

 light, sandy nature no leaf-mold is 

 needed, but one-fourth of sifted cow 

 manure may be added. A coldframe is 

 good for the plants until danger of 

 frost, and an ordinary lath sash is an 

 excellent protection from the sun 's rays. 

 The sash may be removed at night to 

 let the plants have the benefit of the 

 night dews. Give the plants a good, 

 light, airy house when they are brought 

 indoors, and from the middle of October 

 they will require no shade, except, per- 

 haps, in the extreme southern sections, 

 where a little shade will be all right 

 for a month. It is just as well not to 

 put the plants on inverted pots until 

 well along in November. Before that 

 time they dry out too quickly when on 

 pedestals and require more attention. 

 A night temperature of 50 to 58 degrees 

 will suit them, the latter temperature 

 for the ones wanted early. Plants 

 wanted for bloom at Thanksgiving can 

 be let run to flower, but keep the flow- 

 ers picked off the Christmas stock for 

 a few weeks yet. L. 



BOSES IN THE SOUTH. 



October is the month when a house 

 of roses may be made or spoiled. The 

 plants seem more than anxious to bloom 

 profusely, and indiscriminate cutting of 

 blooms is apt to give the plants a set- 

 back from which they will never re- 

 cover. A few of the stronger shoots 

 only should be cut, the others being 

 pinched out as soon as the buds show 

 color or else cut with just enough stem 

 to make the flowers suitable for de- 

 sign work. To make a crop for the 

 holidays, pinch the buds from October 

 25 to November 1, according to lati- 

 tude. This applies to all roses except 

 American Beauty, which should have 

 on-e week's more time. A mulching of 

 good cow manure is all the fertilizer 

 needed until after the holidays. 



Thrips are liable to show up at 'any 



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time. I have always used one of the 

 tobacco extracts for this pest on roses 

 and ■ find it effective. Strangely 

 enough, I have never had good results 

 with Paris green. It is well to be care- 

 ful also to see that the foliage is thor- 

 oughly dry before sundown. Mildew 

 with many growers is troublesome dur- 

 ing October. It is merely the result of 

 careless or insuflScient ventilation. Do 

 not be afraid to leave plenty of ventila- 

 tion on at night, especially before fir- 

 ing begins. A drop of a few degrees 

 below regular night temperature will 

 not hurt the plants if you have enough 

 air on at top and sides to keep the 

 house thoroughly dry. L. 



the holes in with fresh soil and replant. 

 Surface cultivation may be kept up 

 every week for a good While yet. The' 

 nights are cooling off considerably, 

 although the days are warm, and a lit- 

 tle more care should b^'used in water- 

 ing. Less water will be required at the 

 roots, but by all means keep up the 

 syringing daily, or at least every other 

 day. Our old friends, red spider and 

 thrips, are liable to pay us a visit with- 

 out any warning. Two or three appH- 

 cations of Hammond's Thrip Juice No.' 

 2, at intervals of one week or ten daysy 

 have always been effective with us. In 

 early spring the treatment should be 

 renewed. 



Stem-rot, in those sections where the 

 July rains were heavy, seems to have 

 taken rather a heavy toll this year. Plants 

 housed before the heavy rains began 

 have done well in the houses, showing a 

 loss of not more than ten per cent, but 

 those housed after the rains have suf- 

 fered badly, in some cases as high as 

 thirty per cent. It seems that this dis- 

 ease is largely a constitutional one, and 

 if more care were exercised to keep up 

 the vigor of the plants we would have a 

 great deal less trouble with it. New 

 varieties sent out the first year gen- 

 erally show hardly any loss from this 

 cause, but they gradually grow worse 

 each succeeding year. Overpropagation 

 and bad methods in the propagating 

 bench are two factors that have much 

 to do with the rapid spread of this 

 disease. L. 



FKENCH BOMAN HYACINTHS. 



I would like to know if it is advisable 

 to plant French Boman whites in flats 

 and then pan them. Can this be done 

 with any of the Dutch bulbs, and which 

 ones? J. M. — Ind. 



CABNATIONS IN THE SOUTH. 



The early planted carnations will 

 probably be ready to tie up now. Be- 

 fore running the wires remove all plants 

 that have died from stem-rot, as well as 

 the soil in which each plant grew. Fill 



These bulbs may be started in flats 

 and transplanted into pans, but I would 

 not advise you to do this unless the pans 

 are wanted for sale. They will be more 

 certain to give good spikes of flowers 

 if undisturbed. , Tulips and narcissi, 

 such as Golden Spur and Trumpet major, 

 may be planted in this way, but the 

 work of repanning should be done be- 

 fore the flowers have opened, for best 

 results. C. W. 



I 



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SEASONABLE iir 



iur SUGGESTIONS 



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Spanisli Iris. 



The Spanish iris fills quite a large 

 place in the flower markets in spring 

 and early summer. It can be grown 

 in flats, benches or solid beds. If in 

 flats, these should not be less than five 

 inches deep. The strongest spikes are 

 to be had from bench-grown plants. 

 These irises are quite cheap and of such 

 easy culture that no one need hesitate 

 to try them. They will not, however, 

 stand hard forcing. A temperature of 

 45 to 50 degrees at night suits them 

 best. Good varieties to grow are: 

 Chrysolora, golden yellow; Louise, pale 

 blue; Thunderbolt, bronze, and British 

 Queen, pure white. 



Spanish iris can be grown in pots or 



I 



pans, but cannot be recommended for 

 that purpose, as they grow too tall. 

 Keep Spanish iris in the light all the 

 time; they do not need to be covered 

 with coal ashes, sand or loam, like tu- 

 lips or narcissi. 



Gladiolus Nanus. 



The small-flowered gladioli can be 

 grown in the same way as the Spanish 

 iris and are useful spring flowers. For 

 Memorial day they meet with a fine 

 sale. Good varieties to grow are Blush- 

 ing Bride, white, carmine blotches; The 

 Bride, or Colvillei albus, of the purest 

 white; Peach Blossom, delicate pink: 

 Ackermann, salmon. The culture or 

 these is much the same as that of Span- 



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