16 



The Florists^ Review 



November 21, 1918. 



ODCN LETTEl^y^ DEADEUB 



MICE KILL BUGS. 



I''or a \o\)<x time llic soil in my rose 

 liciiilies lias lit'oii iiii'i'sted ^\itll millions 

 <il' sow hn^'s. Lately I have notieed the 

 suitaee littered witli tlie remains of the 

 Iniu's and on investi<^ati()n 1 find that 

 miee arc rosponsilde for the deaths. 

 I can hardly find a live bu^ now. As 

 lonjj as there is work for them to do, 1 

 certainly shall nt)t ti'v to exterminate 

 the mice. J. L. Johnson. 



STEM-ROT ON ASTERS. 



Someone is always asldnj:; about stem 

 rot on asters. "We have an old fashioned 

 remedy which we have used for ten 

 years, since it was fi;iven us by an old 

 lady at a time when we were losinij 

 seventy-five per cent of our asters. We 

 have used it continuously c 'er since 

 and we seldom lose an aster. We find, 

 however, that the remedy must be ap 

 ]ilied every year. 



In our town jieojile burn the dead 

 leaves in the autumn in the streets. We 

 have made it a ])ractiee to go around 

 and gather \ip the ashes from the bon- 

 tiies and keoj) them in a dry jdace until 

 sprin<j. We scatter a libei'al sprinklinj^ 

 of them on the soil and use them in the 

 seed beds as well. When we transplant 

 ^\■e use the ashes again in the beds. 

 If anyone wlio is tioul)led with stem-rot 

 will try this remedy I feel positive it 

 will remove this trouble, as we liave 

 given it a ten year trial and it never 

 has failed. A. Gardner. 



ROOTING GERANIUM CUTTINGS. 



Regarding the trouble your correspond- 

 ents are having in rooting geranium 

 cuttings, I would like to suggest that 

 they make the cuttings with a longer 

 jiiece of the stem. The tips of the 

 shoots of outdoor plants are usually 

 soft in the autumn, so that if condi- 

 tions are not just right for striking, 

 many are lost by rot, if the cuttings 

 are only three or four inches long. We 

 find that we get them to root much bet- 

 ter if the cut is made farther down the 

 stem, where the wood is rijier, even if 

 it makes the cutting seven or eight 

 indies long. We ]i]ace the cuttings in 

 2-inch jiots and fill around them with 

 ]ioor, sandy soil. They are then set in 

 the full s\inshine on a shallow bench 

 covered with soil. Moderate amounts 

 of water are gi\"en. I think the jiots 

 ai(> better than the sand ben(di because 

 there is one ]iotting operation saved 

 and, if the li-incdi ]iots are set (dose to- 

 getlier, the cuttings are as thick as they 

 should be to insure proper circulation 

 of air around them. 



Thomas H. White. 



THE INDIANA ASSOCIATION. 



Meeting at Richmond. 



An except idUally large delegation of 

 members of the State Florists' Associa- 

 tion of Indiana was ])rest'nt at its meet- 

 ing November 12, in anticipation of the 

 ijood time alwavs enioved at Riidimond. 



()\i'r fifty members s])ent the morning 

 anil the early j)art of the afternoon visit- 

 ing llie various ranges around the city. 

 Perhaps the most attractive item seen 

 was the new rose. Premier, which Avas 

 found in fine form at both of the Hill 

 establishments. Orders for 130,000 

 jilants of this new rose already have 

 iieen l)ooked. Columbia also looked fine 

 and is sidling better tliis year even than 

 last. Other places visiteil were the East 

 Haven Conservatories, George K. Gause 

 & Co., the old range of Charles Knopf, 

 which is now under the management of 

 the ,Iose]ih Hill Co., Fred II. Lemon & 

 < 'o., E. C. Ituch, J. A. Evans and the 

 . I ones jdace. The chrysanthemums at 

 the various ranges were an unusually at- 

 tractive sight. IJinner was served at the 

 City cafe. The tables were artistically 

 decorated by Fred H. Lemon & Co. 

 After the Itusiness meeting a bowling 

 contest and a social hour were enjoved 

 at the Elks' Club. 



Post-Bellum Plans. 



Tiie business meeting was presided 

 over b}' President Irwin Bertermann. 

 The opening address was made by E. 

 (i. Hill, who t(dd of his tiij) through 

 the east. Hi' is of the o])inion that pros- 

 jiects are blighter for the florists' busi- 

 ness now tliaii e\er before, especially in 

 Indiana. He says the eastern trades- 

 men are looking to the western and mid- 

 dle-western florists for new introduc- 

 tions. 



Tile association service flag was dis- 

 playeil, with its eleven stars. George 

 (lause made the motion that the club 



welcome the soldier boys home with a 

 jollification, which was carried by an 

 enthusiastic, unanimous response. The 

 stars rei)resent the following members 

 of the trade* in the service: V. A. Blu- 

 baugli. Corporal Oscar Carlsteadt, Claude 

 C. (Jriffith, Karl Hack, Sergeant K. E. 

 . I ones, Ernst Lutz, Morris Mayer, Lieu- 

 tenant Colonel C. B. Sayre, Lieutenant 

 William J. Vcscy, Jr., and Captain S. II. 

 "\'oung. 



The committee appointed to confer 

 with the governor on ap]>ropriations for 

 the benefit of floriculture in Indiana was 

 increased from three to five members 

 and consists of the following: Irwin 

 Hertermann, O. E. Steinkamp, E. E. 

 Tern i.er ley, E. G. Hill and W. W. Coles. 



I'aul Janisch, of Indianapolis, and Mr. 

 Worth, of Purdue, were proposed for 

 menibershi]). 



Baur & Steinkamp exhibited a vase of 

 their new carnation No. 414, an excep- 

 tionally beautiful variety between flesh 

 color and rose-pink, which called forth 

 a great deal of admiration. E. E. T. 



ASK ME! ASK ME!! 



B. F., Now York. — It is unlikely. You 

 should send a stamped self-addressed 

 enveloj)e if 3'ou wish a full reply by 

 mail. 



A. L. R., HI.— The Baur Floral Co., 

 Erie, Pa. The a<l has not ajjpeared 

 since last spring. 



II. S., la. — Manufacturers of house- 

 hold canning apparatus are: F. S. 

 Stahl Mfg. Co., Quincv, HI.; Dixie Hard- 

 ware & Alfg. Co., Elkin, N. C; West 

 Mfg. Co., Bullit bldg., Philadelphia, Pa.; 

 North Western Steel & Iron Works, Eau 

 Claire, Wis. 



R. K. S., 0.— Write to Albert Poche- 

 lon, secretary, 153 Bates street, De- 

 troit, Mich. 



Kingston, Ont. — Percy C. Lawson is 

 starting in the florists' business. His 

 greenhouses are under construction and 

 will be in operation for next season. 



WHOLESALERS TAKE ACTION. 



The question of growing delivery ex- 

 pense, which has long agitated the minds 

 of the wholesale florists of Cleveland, 

 has been solved by the adoption of a 

 zone-system charge, which undoubtedly 

 will operate to the advantage of all con- 

 cerned. Primarily, the object is a reduc- 

 tion of an outlay for delivery Avliich 

 had mounted to a figure out of propor- 

 tion to the actual value of the business. 

 It is also designed for the purjiose of 

 comjielling the retailer to become inter- 

 ested by forcing him to bear a ])ortion 

 of the burden, tlie outcome of which will 

 inevitably be the introduction of 

 economy in the matter of delivery. Fol- 

 lowing is the letter that was mailed to 

 eacli retailer: 



'I'o our p.Ttrons, Ilic retail fldrists of ('Icvcl.aml - 

 ■fiiiii- cliiuici'lli .'ill tliiiif;s cxrciit tlic coinrnis- 

 simi rule iiimn wliicli tlic wliolrsalc llori'.f sells 

 Ills a Is. 'I'alk about .voiir ti Iionored insti- 

 tutions: for a (inarter-eentnry it lias lieeii lifteeii 

 lier cent: .Nor can it lie increased at present. Iie- 

 laiise tlio ^rrower is Laborint; iiniler the creafest 

 lianilicaps in liislory. It must eoiiliniie and. de- 

 spite tlie fact tliaf tln' cost of doiiiL' linsiness 

 lias trebled, tlie wholesaler nuisl operate within 



it. lie simply must reduce his operating ex- 

 penses. 



The cost of delivery, ns conducted .Tt present, 

 is entirely out of proportion to the value of the 

 business. Its radical channe is an economic ne- 

 cessity. There are two alternativos, namely, dis- 

 continuing delivery or making a nominal charge 

 therefor. Due consideration of the interests of 

 our patrons compels the bidief that the doing 

 away of deliveries altogether would causi- an un- 

 merited inconvenience to some, while the mak- 

 ing of a small charge for the service would be 

 eminently fair to all, inasmuch as the luirchaser 

 has the choice of calling for his goods if he 

 desires. 



After a careful analysis of the situation, we 

 have decided to adopt a uniform zone-rate ch.arge. 

 the jirice in each instance lieing based uiHin ac- 

 tual delivery cost, .as follows: Zone 1, covering 

 the downtown section and exti'udiiig to lOast 

 Fourteenth street, l.'i cents; zone li. extending to 

 Sixtieth street, on tioth the west an<l east si<le, 

 ;t."i cents; zone .3. extending to lOtlth street on the 

 east side and llTtli street on the west side. ."lO 

 ceiils; zone 1. extending beyond lOCith street on 

 the east side and 117th street on the west side, 

 ••ind I'.iooklyn. <;.") cents. This plan for hanilling 

 our deliveries will be put into elTect Monday, 

 November IS, ]<)]H. 



Assuring <>ur patrons that it is our earnest de- 

 sire to maintain an ellicicMt deliver.v systi'in and 

 to I'oiiiierate with them in ever.v manner iiossible, 

 on the theory th.'it the interests of lH)tli are 

 mutual, we are, etc. 



If the i)lan has the expected result of 

 (•■•lusing more liuyers to make their selec- 

 tions in person it will be of advantage to 

 all. Mae. 



