34 



T - 



The Florists^ Review 



FlBBDART 5, 1920 



jnaking a bushy growth. Plants cut 

 back at this time, for instance, will be 

 in fine shape for Mothers' day sales, 

 while the cuttings may be put in sand. 

 • * • • 

 "Warren G. Matthews, of Dayton, O., 

 observed as he hung up the receiver, 

 "The most difficult problem today is to 

 please the phone patron who has been 

 in the habit of placing an order for a 

 75-cent bouquet for her church. With 

 splits selling at 15 cents and roses in 

 proportion, we try to substitute a flower- 

 ing plant. As to designs, how we hate 

 to work in the artificial with the nat- 



ural! " A shortage of ferns leads to the 

 use of southern smilax as a substitute 

 for groundwork; it answers well. Mr. 

 Matthews* son, Walter, has left the 

 store to accept a position in the court- 

 house, another defection in the trade. 

 • • • • 

 Amid the silence of the adjoining 

 cemetery, S. J. Stephens & Son, Colum- 

 bus, O., are working up a large plant 

 stock in anticipation of the largest bed- 

 ding trade on record. W. J. Stephens 

 returned from the service benefited in 

 every way from the experience in Eu- 

 rope. W. M. 



s^jixsvji^wsiJtx?wwi4!iAsy:^ii?^ 



FOR THE BIG DAY 



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OINEBABIAS FOB EASTEB. 



When should cinerarias have their 

 last shift to have them in bloom for 

 Easter f They are now in 4-inch pots 

 and need shifting. I have been keeping 

 them in a temperature of 45 to 50 de- 

 grees. I cannot keep them any colder, 

 as I have other plants in the house, 

 such as peas and stock plants of gera- 

 niums. H. H. S. — ^Md. 



Cinerarias will need quite cold cul- 

 ture to hold them back until Easter. 

 If you had a really cold house, espe- 

 cially one with a north aspect, this 

 would be easier. I would suggest that 

 yOB ksep your cinerarias in the coldest 

 part of 'the house. They will soon need 

 some shade, which the other plants will 

 not require. If you have a close frame 

 or pit, which can be kept frost-proof, 

 there is no . good reason why you can- 

 not transfer your cinerarias there after 

 March 1. They will do without fire heat 

 after that date, but will need protection 

 on cold nights and more careful water- 

 ing. C. W. 



ULIUM OIOANTEXTM. 



I have received my giganteum lily 

 bulbs and have put them in flats or 

 boxes six inches deep. How should they 

 be treated from now onf I have three 

 warm houses in which I can keep the 

 temperature at 60 degrees during zero 

 weather, also one cold house, which can 

 be kept above freezing. Shall I keep 

 the boxes outside for a few weeks and 

 then bring them into the cold house and 

 later into the warmer house? Can I 

 have these bulbs in bloom at Easter f 

 They are in rich soil, with loam and 

 manure. B. G. C— W. Va. 



If you are planning to grow your 

 lilies in boxes for Easter, I should 

 strongly advise against it, as you will 

 get vastly better results from pot cul- 

 ture. Pot singly in 6-inch pots, or, if 

 the bulbs are small, 5-inch pots will an- 

 swer. Use a good loam, but leave out 

 manure or fertilizer. Old mum soil will 

 do quite well. After potting, place them 

 below the benches in your warm house 

 or stand them on the benches several 

 pots deep and cover them with straw 

 or hay to prevent their drying out. 

 There is no need to water them, if the 

 loam is fairly moist. Giganteums need 

 all the heat you can give them from 

 start to finish. Many are ruined by be- 

 ing placed in a cold house at the start 

 and, in addition, by being kept too 



moist. Eun the plants on the dry side 

 until the pots are nicely filled with 

 roots; then apply water more freely. 

 Place the plants on benches as soon as 

 they are nicely started. Fumigate oc- 

 casionally to keep down green aphis, 

 spray on clear, warm days and remem- 

 ber that heat is needed right along to 

 flower them for Easter, which this year 

 comes April 4. C. W. 



HYDRANGEAS FOB EASTEB. 



Will my Hydrangea Badiant come in 

 for Easter f I planted them December 

 27 and grew them under the bench until 

 started and then I put them on the 

 bench in a temperature of 60 degrees. I 

 have been giving them liquid manure 

 once a week, but they are growing 

 slowly. They have their fourth leaves 

 on now. H. H. S. — Md. 



The hydrangeas in a night tempera- 

 ture of 60 degrees should flower for 

 Easter. Give them all possible light 

 and sun. Liquid manure would be more 

 (harmful than beneficial unless the pots 

 are well filled with roots. This could 

 hardly be possible if you potted them 

 as recently as December 27. Wait until 

 the sides of the pots have an abundance 

 of active roots and then feed regularly, 

 especially, while the flower heads are 

 developing. C. W. 



OTAESA FOB EASTEB. 



I have a lot of otaksa hydrangeas 

 which I brought into the greenhouse be- 

 fore the frost. November 1 they were 

 placed under a bench in a temperature 

 of 40 degrees at night and 50 degrees 

 during the day. The leaves are nearly 

 all dried up, but the tips are still green. 

 I have watered them just enough to keep 

 them alive. Kindly advise me what 

 treatment I should give them. When 

 should they be benched in a house of 50 

 degrees at night and 65 degrees during 

 the day to have them in bloom for 

 Easter, also for Memorial dayf 



G. S. F.— Pa. 



The French hydrangeas can be forced 

 into bloom for an early Easter, such as 

 will come April 4, but otaksa needs a 

 longer season and does not stand forc- 

 ing as well as the newer French type. 

 Furthermore, the French varieties come 

 in a variety of pleasing colors and are, 

 therefore, much preferred at Easter. I 

 should not advise you to force your 



plants for Easter, but rather hold them 

 back for Memorial dayi At that time 

 there is always an excellent call for 

 otaksa. For Memorial day, keep your 

 plants cool and as near dormant as you 

 can until March 1; then place them in 

 a temperature of 50 degrees at night 

 and they will flower on time. If, how- 

 ever, you are extremely anxious to flow- 

 er some of them for Easter, place them 

 in a temperature of 45 to 50 degrees 

 now. When growth is well started run 

 them 5 degrees warmer, and later, as 

 flower heads start to show, they can 

 have 60 degrees at night until the flow- 

 ers show color. Then keep them some- 

 what cooler. Water them freely and 

 feed with liquid manure once a week as 

 soon as the pots are well filled with 

 roots. C. W. 



NEW YOBK. 



The Market. 



The market is still suffering from a 

 shortage in the supply of cut flowers, 

 without any prospect of immediate re- 

 lief. This condition, naturally, is keep- 

 ing prices on a high plane. The influ- 

 enza epidemic does not seem to have in- 

 creased the demand to any great extent. 



Boses seem to be scarce; in fact, so 

 limited is the supply that much stock is 

 sold before arrival. All varieties are 

 affected, particularly the short grades. 

 American Beauty is bringing holiday 

 prices, the best in the special grades 

 selling for $1.25 each. The best grades 

 of hybrid teas bring 25 to 75 cents each, 

 the latter for the Scott Key variety. 

 About 50 cents each is ■ asked for Co- 

 lumbia, Premier and Hadley. 



The supply of carnations is short for 

 this time of year. A small supply of 

 Laddie moves quickly at 25 cents each. 

 Mrs. C. W. Ward and Benora are bring- 

 ing 20 cents for the best flowers, with 

 ordinary varieties at 15 cents, and in- 

 ferior ones, in small quantities, 12 cents. 



Cattleyas are fairly plentiful, but, 

 with the shortage in other staples, prices 

 continue high; $9 per dozen is asked 

 for the best, while the lower grades are 

 sold for $3. Few spray orchids are ar- 

 riving, but there is a good supply of 

 cypripediums. 



Lilies of the valley are plentiful, but 

 sales drag considerably at $S to $15 per 

 hundred sprays. Easter lilies are scarce. 

 There is a moderate supply of garde- 

 nias. 



There is a good supply of bulbous 

 flowers, but not nearly so many as 

 might be expected at the opening of 

 February. Tulips are bringing 75 cents 

 to $2 per bunch; Paper Whites, $1 to 

 $1.25 per bunch, and daffodils, $1.50 to 

 $2 per bunch. Freesias are arriving 

 and move well. 



Callas are in good demand, with the 

 best bringing as high as $7.50. There 

 are a few hyacinths on the market and 

 also a small supply of iris. Acacias 

 bring $3 to $5 per bunch and are in good 

 supply. 



There is a fair supply of herbaceous 

 flowers, including snapdragons, bou- 

 vardias and calendulas. Sweet peas are 

 plentiful, but the quality is not good, 

 short-stemmed flowers being much in 

 evidence. Pansies, mJgnonettaf irafr 

 flowers, myosotis and daisies are in good 

 supply and bring good prices. 



Various Notes. 



John Young, secretary of the S. A. F., 

 came back from the meeting of the ex- 



