Mabch 29, 1917. 



The Florists' Review 



45 



may be "dewed" daily by using a fine 

 spray nozzle on the hose, but keep a 

 watch for spot on the foliage. At the 

 first appearance of this stop all ' ' dew- 

 ing" at once. A spraying with half an 

 ounce of potassium sulphide dissolved 

 in a gallon of water will check the spot 

 quickly, seldom requiring two applica- 

 tions. Give the plants frequent stir- 

 rings of the surface soil during the sum- 

 ner season, and avoid overpotting at 

 ill times, or rather avoid shifting until 

 > !ie pot is well filled with roots. L. 



BALTIMORE'S LARGEST GROWER. 



[Tate, the Baltimore correspondent of The Re- 

 ■ ifw, recently visited the range of Isaac Moss, 

 inc., near tliat city, and has written an Interest- 

 .iiK account of what he saw there.] 



One Saturday I made a pilgrimage 

 . ut to the range of Isaac H. Moss, Inc. 

 What a busy place that is! It was about 

 half an hour before I could get our old 

 friend, Ike, with his corncob pipe, seat- 

 (.1 comfortably in his office and to say: 

 'I am at your disposal." 



He is just the same today as he was 

 thirty years ago, refusing to be in the 

 loast flustered, no matter what the ex- 

 citement may be, and success has in no 

 way spoiled him. 



As I was waiting to get him alone, 

 where I could ask questions, the thought 

 came to me that as our column is to 

 help those in the trade, I could do 

 nothing better than to give some of the 

 younger men in the trade his experi- 

 ence. What one man has been able to 

 accomplish, some other man should be 

 able to duplicate. 



Started Thirty-five Years Ago. 



I can remember well when he first 

 started in business. It was in 1882 that 

 Ike, after serving an apprenticeship of 

 ten years in the nurseries and green- 

 houses of W. D. Brackenbridge, started 

 out with a single lean-to house, 15x50, 

 and no assets except a rugged consti- 

 tution and a determination to succeed. 

 This little house was in the yard of his 

 father's home. In a few years two more 

 span-roofed "houses were added and he 

 w'as getting along nicely when a car- 

 riage factory was erected on an ad- 

 joining lot. The building shaded about 

 half his glass and made it useless. But 

 this did not deter him; it just aroused 

 the fighting spirit in the man, for he 

 secured a lot across the road and erected 

 a lean-to house 25x100 feet. Then he 

 Rradually added to this until he had a 

 range of six houses, each 25x75, in addi- 

 tii>n to the first house. 



Plant Now Is Modem. 



These houses stood until 1910, when 

 he replaced them with a range of iron- 

 frame houses, which are furnished with 

 every modern device. Three of them, 

 ^I'xlSO, are devoted to roses and, al- 

 though they were off crop just at that 

 t""e, I thought this would be a good 

 P;^ce to find good Richmonds, White 

 ;^'llarneys, and Brilliants about Easter. 

 li fy were all looking fine, not a trace 

 ''•^ mildew, and as clean a looking range 

 "roses as one would wish to look at. 



"hen he had a house of carnations 



|\ .ich were especially good. In this 



'use there were just two varieties, 



' "'icon and Enchantress. Another house 



|,^ '-^ devoted to callas and they were 



' 'N there being no trace of disease. 



f, ^^''^^^ house was devoted to plants 



' Easter. Azaleas, lilies, wistaria and 



' ' cs were credits to the genial foreman, 



^ C. Price. 



Isaac H. Moss. 



Another feature of this business, 

 which I must not forget, is landscaping. 

 Nearly every place through Greenspring 

 valley bears the stamp of Moss, so 

 that out on Bellona avenue, almost ad- 

 joining the place where he had served 

 his time, he has twenty-one acres of fine 

 ornamental nursery stock. On this 

 place there also is a range of six houses, 

 30x200, all except two devoted to carna- 

 tions. In one of these houses there is 

 red and pink Radiance and the other is 

 as fine a house of field-grown roses in 

 6-inch pots as one would wish to look at. 



All of this range has grown from the 

 little lean-to house in his father's yard. 



His Recipe for Success. 



As I asked him to what special fea- 

 ture he owed his success, he replied: 

 "Hard work and a close application to 

 business." 



So if any young man, who is fighting 

 for a foothold in business, should be- 

 come discouraged, my advice to him 

 would be to take an afternoon off, go 

 out to Govans and see what one young 

 man, without capital to start with, has 

 been able to accomplish. And I am sure 

 he will go back to his work with new 

 determination and hope. 



There was one thing that impressed 

 me greatly; it was that, in spite of all 

 those years of close application, time 

 has dealt gently with our friend, as his 

 picture will show. I am sure it is the 

 wish of all the boys in the trade that 

 he may be spared many years yet to 

 enjoy the fruits of his labors. Tate. 



thing different from what we usually 

 have. I have a nice variety of plants 

 and a window about 5x10 feet. 



L. C— O. 



TRY A CROSS AND LILIES. 



I am new at the retail business and 

 would like a suggestion for an Easter 

 window display. It must be inexpen- 

 sive in character, but I would like some- 



A novel Easter window display can 

 be made at small cost if you will com- 

 bine art with stock. Your window is 

 of good size and the following sugges- 

 tion could well be carried into effect: 

 In one corner, preferably the main cor- 

 ner, could be placed a large standing 

 cross from four to six feet in height. 

 This could be made with magnolia 

 leaves carefully arranged so that they 

 could be used over again. My prefer- 

 ence would be the brown leaves, over 

 which a nice spray of Easter lilies could 

 be arranged, with the stems in test tubes 

 of water so that they would not wilt. 

 At the back of the cross, built away up, 

 I would place Easter lily plants, making 

 them to appear as though they were 

 growing on a mound. A few doves 

 hanging from the ceiling would greatly 

 improve the effect. Other Easter novel- 

 ties and plants could be shown to their 

 best advantage kept at a reasonable 

 distance from the cross. A handsome 

 bow of lavender ribbon tied among the 

 lilies on the cross would enrich the 

 effect. ^^ H. J. H. 



Washington, Pa.— The Warrick Floral 

 Co. was one of the participants in the 

 manufacturers' and merchants' exposi- 

 tion held by the Board of Trade March 

 27 to 29, the object being to boom the 

 town by attracting out-of-town visitors. 



Kearney, Neb.— J. E. Charlson, of the 

 Kearney Floral Co., is planning an ex- 

 tension of his facilities, the work to 

 be commenced at an early date. A 

 steady increase in business makes it 

 necessary that more space be had, .both 

 in the oflice and in the greenhouses. 



