IL&BCH 18, 1920 



The Florists^ Review 



37 



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PLANTS 



FOR THE a^ J9& 



s»e EASTER PARADE 



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SPLENDID VARIETY IN SUPPLY. 



Weather Causes Uncertainty. 



It would naturally be thought that, 

 after a severe winter, we might expect 

 a balmy Easter, but pleasant weather 

 for the great flower holiday, devoutly 

 though it may be wished, is a quite un- 

 certain quantity. Of that we have had 

 a bitter experience on more than one 

 occasion in late years. We have special 

 cause to remember the Easter of 1915, 

 when the most furious snow storm of the 

 winter struck the eastern states April 

 3, and in large measure paralyzed busi- 

 ness. The date of Easter, April 4, was 

 the same as in 1920, but let us hope the 

 weather man will be much more merci- 

 ful. But since we have climatic va- 

 garies to contend with, let us be pre- 

 pared for them and lay in an ample 

 stock of wrapping material for plants. 

 Heated delivery cars are of great value 

 when the weather is cold. It is true that- 

 horses have been much more valuable 

 than automobiles in the great eastern 

 cities for a large part of the present 

 winter and those who have dispensed 

 with all horses have been hard put to 

 it in making deliveries. 



It would appear that Easter, 1920, 

 will see as fine an assortment of flower- 

 ing plants as we have ever had. It is 

 true that we shall miss azaleas, but 

 lilies are with us once more in good 

 numbers and hydx^geas are proving 

 fine substitutes for. azaleas. I do not 

 think there will be Any surplus of plants 

 and weeks before liRster the leading 

 plant factories are pretty well cleaned 

 out. Cut flowers at Easter are of but 

 secondary importance; pot plants are 



what people want and their popularity 

 will be greater than that enjoyed by 

 cut flowers. Tor, while the latter for 

 months are abnormally scarce and dear, 

 pot plants have been offered at reason- 

 able prices right along. 



Lilies Gtood at High Prices. 



Although one cargo of giganteum 

 lilies went to the bottom of the ocean, 

 there seems to be a fairly good supply 

 available. The quality is extra good, 

 with a smaller proportion than usual 

 of diseased bulbs. The plants also are 

 a little later with me, which is an ad- 

 vantage. At wholesale these lilies will 

 probably command 35 cents per bud, 

 which is not excessive when everything 

 is considered. The much inferior cold- 

 storage specimens offered in 1919 easily 

 realized these prices. With so much 

 dark, cold weather and something of a 

 coal famine to boot, some batches I 

 have seen are late and need a few weeks 

 of clear, sunny weather. The rate of 

 growth in March is much accelerated 

 as compared with that in February and, 

 with the laggards, advantage should be 

 taken of every clear day to bottle up 

 plenty of sun heat and to keep the at- 

 mosphere of the lily house saturated 

 with moisture. 



Get all pots washed before the flowers 

 open; keep pollen masses removed and 

 if a cool cellar or storage shed is at 

 command, place plants there as soon as 

 the first flowers open. Perhaps you are 

 also growing some formosums. They 

 are splendid to cut, as they carry such 

 long stems. They are variable in type 

 and not so much in request as gigan- 

 teums for pot plants. There are but 

 few candidums this year; a small crop 



came from France and the bulbs did not 

 average in size at all like those received 

 in pre-war times. Still a few plants, 

 which are showing from five to eleven 

 buds to the stalk, look well and promise 

 to be in on time. These are mainly in 

 8-inch to 9-inch pots and carry five to 

 eight stalks each. What could be more 

 beautiful for church decoration? In 

 majesty, purity and grace, they are 

 vastly superior to the large-flowered, 

 but stiffer and coarser Easter lilies. 



Bambler Boses Sell Well. 



There is some change each year in 

 the roses grown for Easter, but one 

 variety still stands out preeminent, viz., 

 Tausendschoen. This forces easily and 

 comes in well ahead of Dorothy Per- 

 kins, Excelsa, Lady Gay, American Pil- 

 lar and other ramblers. It is of a beau- 

 tiful pink color and sells on sight. The 

 other ramblers have devotees, but none 

 has as large a following as Tausend- 

 schoen. The baby form of thisjtMe is 

 also in good demand, while tl/e other 

 polyantha or baby ramblers are filling 

 a large space in many of the plant 

 houses for Easter this year. 



I have seen some plants of Silver 

 Moon and Dr. Van Fleet, the beautiful, 

 comparatively new varieties. These 

 should sell remarkably well. I have also 

 seen nice batches of both hybrid teas 

 and hybrid perpetuals. Among the lat- 

 ter, good old Mag^a Charta makes a 

 better plant than any other. The im- 

 maculate Frau Karl Druschki is also a 

 winner. Would it were possible to get 

 a bush rose for Easter with flowers of 

 as beautiful a golden yellow as Mare- 

 chal Niel and as sweet-scented! What 

 an acquisition such a rose would be! 



Tulips, Appropriately Dressed for the Easter Shoppers. Enjoy Excellent Sale Almost Everywhere. 



