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August 9, 1917. 



The Florists' Review 



15 



carnations and devote enough space to 

 them it would be a boon to the florist 

 and a source of delight to visitors. The 

 originators of new carnations would be 

 pleased to supply twenty-five to 100 

 plants the year before dissemination, 

 upon condition that the young plants be 

 not sold or given away, but kept strictly 

 for experimental purposes and reported 

 on accordingly. Of course, we could 

 not expect the stations to grow these 

 plants under anything but ordinary cir- 

 cumstances; that is, an even temperature 

 and ordinary soil. We know that one 

 variety will make good in a light soil 

 and another variety in a heavy soil, and 

 that some varieties like a little more 

 heat or a little less heat than other 

 varieties, but what the commercial 

 florist wants to know more especially 

 is what varieties to grow under ordinary 

 conditions, and this is where the experi- 

 mental farms can get in their good work. 



Rose Tests Needed. 



A few years ago there were only three 

 or four standard varieties of roses that 

 a florist could grow with profit, but the 

 liybridizers have done wonderful work 

 lately and new roses are being sent out 

 yearly which have entirely outclassed 

 and superseded the old ones, and here 

 again is where the florist is at a disad- 

 vantage. He cannot afford to buy every 

 variety offered by the disseminators, so 

 speculates in one or more varieties and 

 often finds that he bought the wrong 

 one. Not only is the price of the new 

 plants lost, but a whole year's labor, 

 bench space, firing, etc., which is a con- 

 siderable item in the year's returns. If 

 the Experimental Farm would take up 

 rose growing and report, the florist 

 would not be in such a hurry to take up 

 catalogues, and trade papers' glowing 

 accounts and throw their good money 

 after bad, for a commercial grower is 

 always on the lookout for something 

 better than he is growing at present and 

 is always willing to take a chance. We 

 consider that the government should 

 take this chance and give the hard-work- 

 ing florists the benefit of experience, 

 thereby saving them a lot of disappoint- 

 ments and expense and also helping the 

 flower-buying public of Canada to pro- 

 cure the best varieties obtainable. 



The above remarks apply equally to 

 all cut flowers grown by florists, such as 

 violets, mignonette, antirrhinums, sweet 

 peas and any other subjects that are or 

 could be grown to advantage commer- 

 cially. 



What we suggest is that the green- 

 house work in connection with the farms 

 be treated exactly the same way as they 

 are treating the outdoor departments; 

 viz., hardy shrubs, perennials, vege- 

 tables, fruit or ornamental trees and 

 hedges. We immensely appreciate the 

 efforts which have been made in these 

 departments. The grounds are an ob- 

 ject lesson to anyone wishing to beau- 

 tify grounds and an education to land- 

 scape gardeners and nurserymen. 



Insect Studies Needed. 



Another thing we would like to sug- 

 gest is that the Experimental Farm take 

 up what we can vulgarly call the bug 

 question. We all realize the necessity 

 of keeping our plants and flowers clean 

 and free of insects, and most florists 

 know how to combat the commoner form 

 of insect pests, but there are some bugs 

 and grubs that the average florists have 

 found impossible to eradicate. 



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THE COST OF COAL 



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A GROWER TALKS TO PUBLIC. 



No Reduction in Sight. 



A Chicago daily paper is conducting 

 a campaign to develop the facts with 

 regard to the cost of fuel, the idea be- 

 ing that a "Peabody" reduction in 

 prices is not sufficient to meet the needs 

 of the case. In the course of its in- 

 vestigations it obtained the following 

 statement from a down-state grower of 

 greenhouse vegetables: 



"A large grower of hothouse vege- 

 tables down-state who wishes his name 

 withheld says: 



' ' ' The florists and hothouse vege- 

 table growers will be hardest hit by the 

 exorbitant prices of coal, which, except- 

 ing labor, is their heaviest expense. 

 Many will go into bankruptcy or experi- 

 ence heavy losses by allowing green- 

 houses to freeze up, as prices of their 

 products have not advanced and they 

 cannot possibly make enough profit to 

 pay the increasing cost of coal, which 

 means about 100 per cent increase, fig- 

 uring delivery cost. 



"Too High to Meet." 



" 'Cost at the mines is 125 to 150 per 

 cent higher than formerly. There is not 

 the faintest hope that prices of flowers 

 and hothouse vegetables can be ad- 

 vanced to cover the enormous cost of 

 fuel. 



" 'The florist who spends $3,000 a 

 year for coal would have to raise $6,000 

 to keep from freezing up his establish- 

 ment this winter. If he is fortunate 

 enough to have $3,000 available for the 

 additional cost he may not lose his all. 

 But moat of them have extreme diffi- 

 culty meeting their heavy coal bills 

 every winter and cannot see any way 

 around it now. 



" 'The problem which confronts them 

 is whether to stick to it until the sheriff 

 takes the place for the creditors, or let 

 the greenhouses freeze up and get a job 

 in some factory, thereby losing what 

 represents a lifetime saving, now tied 

 up in the business. 



" 'Boilers and pipes would be seri- 

 ously damaged, established trade en- 

 tirely lost and there would be little en- 

 couragement to start in again after the 

 war. The best bet seems to be to stick 

 to it in the hope conditions may im 

 prove or that the florist may be able to 

 borrow money, for he surely will run 

 behind this winter. 



Credit Aids Large Growers. 



' ' ' The large growers will probably 

 run at a loss, but having credit will pull 

 through and get on their feet at some 

 later date. 



" 'Enormous quantities of coal are 

 mined and being stored for winter; 

 more than ever before, so there should 

 be no trouble taking care of the de- 

 mand later on for those who have not 

 stored any. Conditions will be nothing 

 like they were last winter. There is, 

 however, a shortage of cars or motive 

 power to haul them, so that some mines 

 are not able to run every day. 



" 'The railroads need more engines 



and cars. Enormous farm crops to move 

 will make the car shortage more seri- 

 ous later in the fall. 



' ' ' Coal prices should be lowered now 

 and train service improved, to get peo- 

 ple to buy and the mines to run at full 

 capacity before the roads are blocked 

 with bumper farm crops and troops to 

 move. 



" 'What the miners' wages may be 

 next year has nothing to do with this 

 year's coal prices. The prices are simply 

 robbery which has been legalized by the 

 establishing of the maximum price, to 

 which all operators promptly set their 

 price. 



Tells of Price Jiunp. 



" 'We have contracted for eighty to 

 100 cars a year for several years. The 

 price was $1.25 per ton for nut coal 

 from southern Illinois mines. Last 

 year it was raised to $1.35. This year 

 they are asking $3.50 for the same nut 

 coal, but we cannot get either mine-run 

 or screenings at $2.75, which is the low- 

 est on southern Illinois coal. The mine 

 operators claim as one excuse that the 

 cost of rails is 100 per cent higher. But, 

 even so, this probably would not neces- 

 sitate raising the price of coal more 

 than five per cent, because of the few 

 rails they need compared with the en- 

 tire sales.' " 



SCABIOSA CAUCASICA ALBA. 



Please inform me as to the culture, 

 blooming season and keeping quality of 

 Scabiosa caucasica alba. 



E. A. E.— 111. 



Scabiosa caucasica alba is a white 

 form of scabiosa. It is carried on long 

 stems, is a good perennial and well 

 adapted for cutting. S. caucasica, with 

 light lavender blue flowers of large size, 

 I consider a more valuable form com- 

 mercially than S. caucasica alba. The 

 average height of the plant is eighteen 

 inches. Tt is easily grown from seed. 

 If started early in the year, it wUl 

 flower the following summer. i^Give the 

 plants well manured soil for best re- 

 sults and allow eighteen inches of space 

 between the plants. C. W. 



HEDGE OF LILACS. 



What would you suggest to make a 

 hedge of lilacs grow faster? The lilacs 

 were planted five years ago, when they 

 were one to one and one-half feet in 

 height, and they now are only about two 

 and one-half feet in height. Would a 

 top-dressing of bone meal and dried 

 blood in the fall be good, or would you 

 prefer mulching with cow manure? Our 

 winters are quite severe, the tempera- 

 ture dropping sometimes to 70 degrees 

 below zero. A. R. S.— Can. 



A top-dressing of cow manure in the 

 fall would be much better than one of 

 bone meal and dried blood. I cannot 

 understand why your plants have not 

 grown faster, unless they are in poor 

 soil. Lilacs like rich soil and an an- 

 nual top-dressing of manure, and plants 

 set out five years ago should now be not 

 less than five to six feet high. C. W. 



