18 



The Florists^ Review 



w^^^mmmi^mimw 



November 1, 1917. 



suggested by Philip Breitmeyer. The 

 boards show his grandchild seated on 

 the floor, in the act of picking the petals 

 of a rose and exclaiming as above. 



The idea has proved immensely suc- 

 cessful. The color scheme is perfect 

 and the subject is copyrighted." 



W. M. 



WIND STORM INSURANCE. 



What the Hoosiers Are Doing. 



Some time ago, when we wrote you in 

 regard to the new wind and hail insur- 

 ance association which is being fos- 

 tered by the State Florists' Association 

 of Indiana, we expected to be organ- 

 ized by November 1 and so announced 

 in the literature we sent out. We did 

 not anticipate th,e thousand and one lit- 

 tle delays incident to the preliminary 

 arrangements of mich an undertaking as 

 this. We were detained from time to 

 time, with the result that we were ready 

 to get down to the real business of so- 

 liciting insurance considerably later 

 than we at first expected, and we have 

 been obliged to revise our dates some- 

 what. We are hoping now to have 

 things ready to perfect the organization 

 about December 1. 



The committee in charge of the pre- 

 liminary work is meeting with excellent 

 success. Applications are coming in 

 daily, a great many of them without 

 personal solicitation, which shows that 

 there exists a real demand for this kind 

 of protection and that a mutual organi- 

 zation, operated within and controlled 

 by the trade, is assured of success. Some 

 fifty applications, ranging all the way 

 from 5,000 to 200,000 feet of glass, 

 have already been booked. We con- 

 sider this a good showing for the time 

 we have been at it and the methods of 

 solicitation employed thus far. 



After such a destructive season as 

 last summer, it would seem that no 

 greenhouse owner, be he large or small, 

 would care to be without adequate pro- 

 tection against wind as well as hail. A 

 number of localities which had pre- 

 viously boasted of immunity from wind 

 storms had a rude awakening last sum- 

 mer, so that it was truly said that 

 "many an old residenter, who could not 

 recall a cyclone in his vicinity during 



the last forty years, will be able to re- 

 member the one of 1917." The fact is 

 that cyclones are not in the habit of 

 asking ' ' by your leave ' ' of anyone, either 

 as to where they will strike, or from 

 what direction. Can there be any doubt 

 as to the wisdom of insuring against 

 these elements? 



By Way of Explanation. 



We have been asked, "Where does 

 the State Florists' Association of In- 

 diana come in when this thing gets go- 

 ing?" Let me state right here and 

 now, the State Florists' Association of 

 Indiana does not expect to, and will not, 

 reap any financial remuneration from 

 this project. The Indiana association 

 will be satisfi^ed with the gratification of 

 having done a good deed for its members 

 and the trade at large. It is spending 

 its money with no expectation of reim- 

 bursement until there is an earned sur- 

 plus, and then only to the extent of the 

 funds advanced for promotion expenses, 

 plus, perhaps, a reasonable interest. The 

 Indiana laws provide for this. There 

 can be no promotion funds returned un- 

 til there is an earned surplus and the 

 organization can spare the money with- 

 out embarrassing its treasury. This is 

 true regarding any funds advanced from 

 whatever source for promotion purposes. 



When the committee has sufficient ap- 

 plications for insurance booked, a meet- 

 ing of all the applicants will be called 

 for the purpose of organizing, electing 

 oflicers, etc. The State Florists' Asso- 

 ciation of Indiana will then and there 

 turn over to the new organization all 

 the funds and everything else pertain- 

 ing to it, and cease to be connected in 

 any way. The money advanced will be 

 considered a loan, which can be paid 

 only as stated above. 



In the face of the above, we do not 

 claim to be totally disinterested. The 

 fact is, we want this form of protection 

 on our greenhouses. That is what in- 



duced us to start a mutual organization, 

 and it was only natural that the state 

 association should take hold of it for 

 the benefit of its members. Wo could 

 have organized under an old state law, 

 which would limit our operations within 

 the boundaries of this state, but we rea- 

 soned that if it is a good thing for the 

 Indiana growers, it should be equally 

 good for the growers of the entire couu- 

 try; and the larger the movement, the 

 safer the insurance would be. Inas- 

 much as the promotion expenses would 

 be only slightly larger, we concluded to 

 make it of national scope rather than 

 make it a local affair. So you see, it is 

 not so philanthropic after all. We want 

 this protection, but we can get it only 

 by inducing a sufficient number of 

 others also to see the need of it and 

 want it. The only credit we shall de- 

 serve is in the fact that we are willing 

 to advance, perhaps donate, the neces- 

 sary funds to start the thing on its way 

 and to work our bloomin' heads off in 

 getting it organized. Do you think 

 we deserve encouragement? 



A. J. F. Baur. > 



EARLY OUTDOOR TULIPS. 



I would like to have the names of 

 some early-blooming single tulips in red, 

 white and yellow, for outdoor planting. 

 I would prefer varieties that flower at 

 the same time. C. E. E. — 111. 



Good bedding varieties of early tulips 

 are: Yellow, Chrysolora or Golden 

 Queen; white. White Joost Van Vondel; 

 red, Sir Thomas Lipton and Vermilion 

 Brilliant. These varieties bloom at the 

 same time. C. W. 



MOSCHOSMA RIPARIUM. 



I should like to inquire as to the 

 culture of Moschosma riparium, if it is 

 of value to florists and if beds or pots 

 are best to grow it in. Also I should 

 like to know how to keep large ferns 

 during the winter in greenhouses, and 

 if they should be kept on the dry side, 

 with just enough water to retain life. 



M. E. H.— Tenn. 



For the Naval Man or Shipbuilder on Government Work. 



Moschosma riparium propagates easily 

 from cuttings and is of rapid growth. 

 It succeeds best in an ordinary green- 

 house with a night temperature of 50 

 degrees. Propagated in March, potted 

 along and kept pinched back until Au- 

 gust, plants in 8-inch pots may be had. 

 Although the plant has a graceful ap- 

 pearance while in flower, I do not con- 

 sider it of any special value to florists or 

 gardeners. It is of little value as a 

 house plant. As a conservatory plant 

 on a private estate, it has but little 

 value, only a small number now having 

 it. When first introduced it had a good 

 run for a couple of years. 



All ferns, and, in fact, all pot plants, 

 are better kept somewhat on the dry 

 side in winter. Adiantums are benefit- 

 ed by being kept quite dry for some 

 weeks and allowing the foliage to 

 dry before shaking out and repot- 

 ting them. They appear to start away 

 better after a resting period. The vari- 

 ous nephrolepis, including the Boston 

 fern, Whitmanii fern, and many others, 

 should never be allowed to become ab- 

 solutely dry, as much of the foliage will 

 be spoiled. It is all right, however, to 

 reduce the water supplies considerably 

 during the dark winter months. 



C. W. 



