10 



The Florists^ Review 



Jolt 3, 1919. 



selling red is Felix Crousse, with its 

 perfect bomb shape and large guard 

 petal, which always indicates a good 

 storage variety. 



Many will be surprised to learn that 

 we have finally dropped Edulis Superba. 

 It does remarkably well in many places, 

 but on our records, which we have kept 

 annually since 1888, it is i^ot nearly so 

 dependable as M. Jules Elie and is gen- 

 erally not more than a day earlier. In 

 some quarters Mme. Ducel is grown, but 

 with us it is smaller than M. Jules 

 Elie and so similar in shade and time of 

 blooming that we do not need it. 



We notice an increasing emphasis laid 

 on the desirability of the fragrant va- 

 rieties. 



Suitable Soil. 



Having settled what roots to carry, we 

 will now discuss the best soil condi- 

 tions. The soil should be rich, deep and 

 well drained, with plenty of sunshine. 

 For root propagation a loose loam makes 

 the tubers admit of better dividing, but 

 the heavier soil, with even a clay sub- 

 80l, produces the best blooms. Not only 

 plenty of well rotted manure before 

 planting should be plowed in, but also 

 an annual mulch should be applied 

 thereafter in the fall, but without cov- 

 ering the top of the crown or touching 

 the stem. Pigeon, sheep or cow manure 

 and even some hard-wood ashes make 

 the best fertilizer for our prairie soil. 

 Peonies are such gross feeders that a 

 large quantity of fertilizer, if worked 

 in thoroughly, can be well taken care 

 of, but no manure should ever touch the 

 roots. For the most favorable results 

 there should be plenty of water during 

 the blooming period, and also toward the 

 end of August, to make large eyes for 

 the next season. Some of the foregoing 

 remarks might be classified under the 

 head of labor rather than soil. 



Planting and Later Attention. 



Now as to the labor: The planting 

 should be done during the early part of 

 September, in rows three feet apart by 

 fifteen inches between plants down the 

 row. In two years' time, if the bed is 

 t- stand for blooming, every other plant 

 should be lifted, divided and planted 

 elsewhere. 



If there is any question of the plants 

 having any stem disease, during the 

 month of September, cut off the old 

 leaf -top ; level with the ground and burn 

 them up. The surest method of keeping 

 the roots free from disease is to dig out 

 and destroy every large plant, amo^ 

 blooming ones, that has no flowers. In 

 fact, we have made it a practice for 

 years, in the treatment of all our stand- 

 ard sorts, to destroy June 1 every peony 

 plant 2 or more years old that has no 

 buds. This avoids the possible spread 

 of disease and also prevents the perpet- 

 uating of shy-blooming strains of peo- 

 nies. As long as plants bloom, we need 

 not worry. 



Keeping Them True to Name. 



The young shoots, as they push up in 

 the spring, are quite beautiful and dif- 

 fer decidedly. At this stage of their 

 development we go over our fields and 

 dig out and throw away every plant 

 differing in appearance from others in 

 the same variety. This gets rid of any 

 possible_niixtures and is the last check 

 in our system of keeping every plant 

 true. I may be pardoned in mentioning 

 h'^re our 10 year-old, unique guar- 



antee of giving three for one for every 

 plant blooming untrue to description. 



Every three weeks from May to Sep- 

 tember we run a horse cultivator down 

 every row, and just before freezing up 

 we use a V-shaped potato plow to trench 

 a furrow to draw the water away from 

 the crown. Sufficient hand-hoeing dur- 

 ing the summer must be done to keep 

 the land free from weeds. 



Marketing the Roots. 



The labor of marketing the roots is 

 mostly done in September, which is the 

 proper time to move peonies. It is pref- 

 erable for customers to do their own 

 dividing, as then the cut surfaces are 

 fresh and wither less when put into the 

 ground. However, many purchasers dt) 

 not know how, and for that matter we 

 ourselves are often surprised at the 

 poorly cut plants we sometimes receive. 



After digging, the tops are at once 

 cut off, to prevent the roots from with- 

 ering, and in this dormant condition 

 they can travel safely for several 

 months. In all handling of the roots 

 great care should be taken not to in- 

 jure or break off any of the eyes. 



Marketing the Blooms. 



Eegarding the marketing of peony 

 blooms: Long, straight stems are es- 

 sential, but the cutting must leave the 

 plant to grow the balance of the sum- 

 mer with at least one lateral leaf or, bet- 

 ter, two lateral leaves on each stalk lefl 

 standing. Where every terminal has a 

 bud it is a good plan, when disbudding 

 the side buds for the cut flower trade, 

 also to roll off a terminal bud on one or 

 two of the weakest stalks and thus give 

 the plant more leaf area with which to 

 breathe. The disbudding of all lateral 

 buds, when the size of a pea, makes the 

 terminal bloom develop larger. 



Just at what stage of unfolding to cut 

 a bud depends on the variety and how 



soon it is expected to open. Several 

 carloads of peony blooms come annually 

 to Chicago before Decoration day from 

 points fully 600 miles away. 



In Bundles of Thirteen. 



As soon as the stalks are cut and 

 most of the lateral leaves stripped off in 

 order to give more of the sap remaining 

 in the stem to the bud, they are gathered 

 together in bundles of thirteen of the 

 same variety and size of bud. In units 

 of thirteen they can be sold either by 

 the dozen or the hundred. The buds 

 cut when the dew is on them carry bet- 

 ter, but if they are to be wrapped in 

 paraffin or other paper, the petals must 

 be thoroughly dry. 



If possible, it is a good plan after 

 the bundles are tied up to stand the 

 stems in water for an hour before ship- 

 ping in boxes. 



Holding Blooms in Storage. 



For the benefit of those who want 

 peony blooms much later than their nor- 

 mal season — and this is really one of 

 the recent developments of the indus- 

 try — ^it should be stated that certain va- 

 rieties of peonies when cut in bud will 

 keep in cold storage for six to ten weeks, 

 and upon their being taken out will un- 

 fold in all their usual glory. 



We have now followed our lady love 

 from the cradle to the grave. The sub- 

 ject under discussion naturally eliminat- 

 ed many other interesting features per- 

 taining to the peony, all equally fas- 

 cinating, such as the ancient history of 

 the peony, the renaissance of its culture 

 in Europe, some of its famous hybridiz- 

 ers, a comparative study of the different 

 shapes and types of its blodms, the va- 

 rious styles and shapes of its petals, a 

 classification of its fragrance, the dura- 

 tion of the individual bloom when cut 

 and also on the plant. , 



THE RETAIL FLORIST 



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OHEOKINO TELEGBAPH OBDEBS. 



Postal Cards Aid Service. 



Several cents for two or three postal 

 cards is a cheap way of saving the 

 trade which is always lost when an 

 error is made in an order. Flowers sent 

 by telegraph are more important, to 

 sender and recipient both, than those 

 ordered otherwise. Why not, then, take 

 the precaution, which is so cheap, to se- 

 cure the satisfaction of all the persons 

 involved in such an order? 



No excuse can ever recover the lost 

 business, or the lack of confidence that 

 results from negligence or error in fill- 

 ing a telegraph order. Yet I have often 

 been asked why So-and-So was so care- 

 less in regard to a correspondent's or- 

 der which he was not able to fill; why 

 had he not at least telegraphed collect 

 an explanation of the circumstances in 

 an effort to avoid the embarrassing 

 situation in which both sender and fio- 

 rist were placed? 



Expense Not the Question. 



Expense does not count in the face 



of the disappointment and loss of busi- 

 ness that result from an order mis- 

 carried or unfilled. Telegraph delivery 

 of flowers must stand as a guaranteed 

 service if this highly profitable branch 

 of the business is to be developed. 

 Whatever it costs to maintain a perfect 

 standard now will be many times re- 

 paid later. 



As George Wienhoeber, of Chicago, 

 says, "What do I care about profits 

 when I have the other florist's feelings 

 to consider? How can I disappoint him, 

 how can I abuse his confidence in me, 

 when I am so appreciative of the op- 

 portiinity to display our service, and 

 create new business for myself — and 

 often new flower buyers?" 



A Cleveland retailer told me that 

 rather than cause any disappointment, 

 his firm called up the intended recipient 

 at their own expense, and explained the 

 situation, or sent out some flowers 

 gratis, with the card, to fulfill the de- 

 sired result and the expression of the 

 occasion. 



The L. Bemb Floral Co., of Detroit, 

 has a system, which operates easily and 

 at slight expense, which enables them 



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