80 



The Rorists^ Review 



Fbbbuarx 13. 1919. 



WH<»%<»H<; 



iSTSKISiJCEKriiKTciVT;] 



,l«^l*^U^<«H'fe*,'t^V»,S 



I 



:x:!LxrL^i^:x'iLXXJisJi3Jin 



Pacific Coast Department 



:ji3::X1LXL\JiL^LX3JiL\Jil 



lV».^^♦> ' ^it» 



I 



CULTURE OF SOLANUM. 



Will you kindly give me a few points 

 on the culture of solanum? Last year 

 I put my little plants in the field in 

 April and they thrived and berried 

 beautifully. Early in September I dug 

 them up and potted them in 6-inch and 

 7-inch pots, putting them under a 

 bench in the greenhouse for fifteen days 

 or more. I watered the foliage and 

 roots two or three times a day, as long 

 as the warm weather lasted, but I 

 could not overcome the tendency to wilt 

 during the day after I put them on 

 the bench. They wilted even in cold 

 weather, in fact. Is it possible to over- 

 come this tendency and, if so, how can 

 it be done? How can large plants be 

 transplanted into 5-inch and 6-inch pots 

 without disturbing nearly all the roots? 

 Would it be better to keep them in a 

 lath house f 



Is there anything that will rid these 

 plants of the potato beetle besides ar- 

 senate of lead, which spots the foliage? 



F. A. P.— Cal. 



The shock to the roots of the plants 

 after they have attained their full 

 growth is the cause of the wilting and 

 it is impossible to prevent some, at least, 

 of the plants from going wrong. The 

 treatment given is all right from a 

 rough and ready standpoint, but the 

 ideal treatment would be to cut around 

 the plants on two sides with a spade a 

 week or ten days before lifting and, 

 when the plants are potted, give them 

 a slight bottom heat to get the roots 

 working again. Shade and light dew- 

 ings overhead and moderate watering of 

 the roots are other essentials. Then, 

 when the action between root and 

 branch is again vigorous, the plants 

 will stand exposure to light and sun. 

 If no bottom heat is at command, some 

 litter or straw manure should be placed 

 under the pots when they are staged, 

 as this will keep them a little warmer 

 than on the ground and help the roots 

 just that much. But no plant lifted 

 just as it is at its best can ever com- 

 pare with specimens grown in pots while 

 the berries are maturing. Paris green 

 should be effective against the insects. 



H. R. R. 



LOS ANGELES. 



The Market. 



Stock generally is considerably more 

 plentiful this week than for some time 

 and the growers are not holding out for 

 such high prices. But the demand still 

 is good and in some lines stock is cleared 

 daily. Wholesalers note a slight falling 

 off in out-of-town shipments and, funeral 

 work not being so plentiful, the local 

 demand has dropped a notch. But 

 withal the business is far ahead of last 

 year's and the first week in February 

 goes on record as one of the best for 

 this season. Roses are coming in fair 

 shape, the short and medium lengths 

 clearing early. Carnations are improv- 

 ing with the brighter days and all 

 classes of small flowers are coming in 

 more freely. Among flowering shrubs 



the white, fragrant buddleia is a favor- 

 ite, the odor reminding one of Boronia 

 megastigma. Freesias are at their best 

 now and some splendid forms of pure 

 white varieties are on the market. Daf- 

 fodils and hyacinths come slowly and it 

 looks as if their season might be short. 

 At least one large grower will cut only 

 half the quantity of Golden Spur he cut 

 last year and on some places there is not 

 more than ten per cent of the normal 

 crop. Lack of rain is said to be the 

 cause of the shortage, but just how lack 

 of winter rain can affect bulbs that 

 mature in the early summer does not 

 appear. Orchids are meeting with a fine 

 demand and the prices keep up well. 

 Violets are still plentiful and the pros- 

 pect for St. Valentine's day trade is 

 good. Greens are shortening up in sup- 

 ply, but there are enough to go around. 

 Prices on all lines are higher than at 

 this season last year. Fine cyclamens, 

 primulas and begonias and a nice line 

 of ferns are the leaders in plant stock. 



Various Notes. 



Propagation of dahlias is in progress 

 at the Superior Nursery, at Fifty-ninth 

 and Compton avenue. C. Gutting is a 

 strong believer in vigorous stock for 

 young plants and the immense roots dug 

 from the Figueroa street gardens are a 

 mass of live eyes, each producing large, 

 vigorous cuttings, which are taken off 

 daily to be rooted. Other young stock 

 noted as doing well included crotons and 

 various new forms of nephrolepis. Ferns 

 have long been a specialty here and the 

 stock is good. Excellent young stock of 

 cvclamens is seen here also. 



Mr. Storrs, of Storrs & Harrison. 

 Painesville, O., was a visitor in the city 

 this week. 



John Fincken, of West Washington 

 street, filed a petition in bankruptcy 

 February 4. Some time ago Mr. Fincken 

 called- a meeting of his creditors and 

 everyone in the trade was willing to 

 give him a chance to go on and make 

 good. But an attachment was put on 

 his place by a. doctor for professional 

 services and Mr. Fincken was advised by 

 his attorney to take the step indicated 

 above. No one in the trade had pushed 

 him or even thought of doing so, as it 

 was thought that, given a chance, he 

 would be able to work up his business 

 again. 



George W. Smith has been in town 

 this week, having driven down from 

 Ventura, where, besides his farming in- 

 terests, he has several large landscape 

 contracts in hand. 



George Eischen, having been honor- 

 ably discharged from the army, is back 

 at his old job with J. W. Welters, on 

 Hill street. 



A look through the Howard & Smith 

 nursery is always interesting and there 

 is much to see at all times. Just now 

 one of the big items is delivering roses. 

 The immense stock of Los Angeles is 

 greatly diminished, and Fred Howard 

 says this concern probably will be un- 

 able to fill all orders in full on this and 

 some other popular kinds. A big force 

 is packing this rose and other stock all 

 the time, but cannot catch up with 



AA/E ARE keeping our 

 word and living up to 

 our motto. This is proved 

 by our being able to fill our 

 holiday orders with good 

 stock when others failed. 



L. A. FLORAL CO. 



FRED SPERRY, Manager 



236 E. Fourth St., LOS ANGELES, CAL. 



Long Distance Phone, Pico 518 



Mention The BgTlew when yoo write. 



-WHOLESALE EVERGREENS- 



Garland Roping, Hollyberry. EncUsh Holly. Cal. Pepper Boughs. Desert Holly, Smilax. 

 AsparacBB plumosus. Huckleberry, Hard and Soft Brake, Maidenhair, Mexican Ivy ana 

 all other classes of evergreens and similar stock. 



For best prices, write 

 TASSANO BROS., 422 South WaU Street, Los Angeles, Cal. 



Mention Th* 1l,«Tlew when yon write. 



