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178 



The Florists^ Review 



March 25, 1920 



^^!X. 



Have them when you need them 



Green Painted 



* 



Hyacinth Stakes 



AT FOLI^OWING LOW PRICES 



12'inch . . $1.75 per 1000 

 18-inch - - $2.50 per 1000 



Special prices on original cases, 25,000 to a case 



Jos. G. Neidinger Co., 



Florists' Supplies 1309-11 N. 2nd St., PHILADELPHIA, PA. 



Mention The Review when you write. 



FLOWER GROWINa IN ATRICA. 



Plower shows similar to those given 

 at the Grand Central Palace, New York, 

 may become popular in Africa before 

 long, according to a statement of the 

 Interchurch World Movement. Ameri- 

 can horticulturists have introduced a 

 number of American plants into the 

 country and are finding that gladioli, 

 oxalis, geraniums, phloxes and other 

 flowers give a larger yield and bloom 

 for a longer period there than in the 

 United States. The rich fertility of 

 the soil and the warmth of the climate 

 enable many of them to grow wild 

 once they are transplanted. Natives 

 of the country have never taken an 

 interest in cultivating flowers, but since 

 the introduction of the flower show 

 they are eager to act as gardeners on 

 ihe flower farms which are being es- 

 tablished by Americans and Europeans. 



It has always been the custom for the 

 country folk to come into the towns 

 and cities laden with wild flowers, 

 which they auction off to the highest 

 bidder. In Cape Town, flower day oc- 

 curs several times a week, and it is 

 always possible to secure large bunches 

 of flowers for a small sum. Many of 

 the baskets contain flowers similar to 

 those which are cultivated in America. 

 The ravines in South Africa are full of 

 calla lilies, and geraniums grow lux- 

 uriantly. Although the flowers brought 

 to market are plentiful, they wilt 

 quickly and soon wither away. 



It is reported that the flower show 

 with its varied exhibits is serving as 

 an impetus for natives to care more for 

 the flowers and use greater effort to pre- 

 serve them. They have always con- 

 sidered that as more could be gathered 

 so easily, it was not worth while to give 

 special care to those brought to town. 

 The western methods of tending plants 

 are bringing such beautiful results, 

 however, that natives are eagerly learn- 

 ing all that they can about horticul- 

 ture. 



LILIES AND HYDRANGEAS. 



"What is the best food for Easter lilies 

 and hydrangeas and how often should 

 it be given? A. F. C. — 0. 



You can feed Easter lilies and hy- 

 drangeas every four or five days, pro- 

 vided the pots are well filled with 

 active roots. Liquid cow or sheep 



manure is excellent. Such highly con- 

 centrated fertilizers as Clay's are splen- 

 did and safe to use. Discontinue feed- 

 ing when the flowers start to open. If 

 continued after hydrangeas show color, 

 it will make them soft and the color 

 will fade out badly. Avoid heavy feed- 

 ing. Better give moderate doses each 

 fourth or fifth day rather than a more 

 powerful one at wide intervals. 



C. W. 



SOLUTION TOO STRONG. 



I am sending a few chrysanthemum 

 cuttings, unrooted. Can you tell me 

 the cause of the edges of the leaves 

 turning white and what the outcome 

 inav be? W. A. M.— Pa. 



The trouble is caused either by spray- 

 ing with too strong a solution of nico- 

 tine extract or by heavy fumigating 

 with the same material. There is no 

 great damage done, because, as the 

 roots grow, they will gradually grow 

 away from the leaves now affected, but 

 in the future reduce the strength of 

 your spraying solution or do not fumi- 

 gate so heavily, especially while the 

 growths are young and soft. M. P. 



SERMONS IN FLOWERS. 



Florist Brings Them Out. 



Combining the artist spirit in voca- 

 tion and avocation, W. J. Olds, of Union 

 City, Pa., gives it expression by his 

 flowers and by his pen. He follows in 

 the footsteps of celebrated poets when 

 he takes flowers for the subject of his 

 verse, and his "Sermonettes from the 

 Flowers," contributed to a local paper, 

 are perhaps more logically derived than 

 the classical "sermons in stones." Mr. 

 Olds put his position in these words: 



"Has it not occurred to you that the 

 first requisite of the successful artist in 

 flowers is that he should have the soul 

 of a poet, that he must have the gift to 

 idealize and the power to give expres- 

 sion to his ideals with whatever tools he 

 works? If the idealist be given a 

 pencil to work with, he becomes a poet; 

 if a brush, he becomes an artist. But 

 if his tools be flowers, he becomes a 

 Designer (with a big D), and his every 

 arrangement is, or should be, a poem in 

 flowers. 



"We take as much delight in work- 



ing out our ideals in flowers as in trying 

 to give them expression with a pencil. 

 But we find that the mute appeal of the 

 flowers may ofttimes be enhanced and 

 given voice by the cooperative aid of 

 the pencil. 



"That the public may be awakened 

 to a livelier appreciation of flowers and 

 their mission to the world, I am endeav- 

 oring to give them an interpretive 

 pencil. 



"I am furnishing a series of sermon- 

 ettes to our local paper, the idea being 

 to awaken a higher appreciation of 

 flowers in a community where the popu- 

 lar estimate of them is not merely a 

 luxury, but that they are rather a use- 

 less extravagance." 



A Sermonette. 

 Chapter 5 in the series of Mr. Olds' 

 sermonettes, consisting of a prose mes- 

 sage and a poetic reinforcement, is 

 "The Joy Message of the Sweet Peas." 

 It reads as follows: 



How pleasant must have been God's thoughts 

 toward us when He created the sweet peas, when 

 He gave to them such a wide range and loveli- 

 ness of color, such grace of form and such sur- 

 passing fragrance! How Joyously the angels 

 must have fluttered their wings when they be- 

 held these lovely angel-winged blossoms up- 

 springing from the earth! How eagerly they 

 must have watched and waited to see whether 

 our ears should catch the music and the mes- 

 sage which the sweet peas were bringing to us I 



Poised like the skylark, with wings all aqulver. 



Filling tlie air with tlie lilt of liis song. 

 Sweet fairy faces, like angels, forever 



Winging and swinging the zepliyrs among; 



Thus the sweet peas, all their dainty wings 

 waving. 

 Give to each zephyr tlie wealtli of their 

 hoard. 

 Pouring unstinted, not gnidginir nor saving, 

 leading eacli breeze witli their fragrance out- 

 poured. 



Bonny sweet pea! With thy fragrance and 

 beauty. 



Filling our souls with tliy joy and delight. 

 May we not glean from tliee visions of duty? 



Shall not we, too, lift our hearts to the light? 



Shall not we. too, from tlie bounty which heaven 

 Hath to our spirits so freely bestowed. 



Freely pour out wliat our Father hatli given. 

 Spreading His grace and His goodness abroad? 

 Joyously, W. J. Olds, 1920. 



How Mr. Olds used such poems as 

 these as an aid in the florists' business 

 was told in The Review for March 11. 

 The daffodil poem quoted there is also 

 used in chapter 2 of his sermonettes. 

 Others have for topic lilies, tulips, hya- 

 cinths and primroses. 



McKees Rocks, Pa. — John P. Downey 

 is erecting a greenhouse. 



