24 



The Florifits' Review 



Januabt 6, 1921 



these times is a crime." When asked 

 for proof of his assertion, the volume 

 of business done at the two stores dtir- 

 ing Christmas was offered in evidence. 

 Mr. Gloeekncr is a confirmed ibelicver 

 in the F. T. D. and the Pink Tart of 

 The Review. 



• • • 



Fred A. Danker, Albany, N. Y., made 

 a grand display of combination baskets, 

 with satisfactory results. In fact, some 

 of the fin'est stock grown in that vicin- 

 ity was found in the Danker green- 



liouses. 



• • • ■ 



Cut flowers of the higher grades at 

 Albany, N. Y., were supplied from out- 

 side growers. Much of this stock was 

 shipped to the Albany Cut Flower Ex- 

 change. Manager Tom Tracy was kept 

 busy endeavoring to please the long list 



of late comers. 



• • • • 



Edward Tracey, of the Rosery Flower 

 Shop, Albany, N. Y., is among the fortu- 

 nates who have contracts to furnish 

 flowers for the Inaugural ball, which 

 takes place there early in Januarv. 



W." M. 



VENTILATE PRIMROSES. 



My Chinese primulas throw out the 

 usual flower spike, but they blast and 

 are all blanks. Please advise me what 

 is the cause and what the remedy. 



N. E. A.-^Pa. 



The cause of the trouble with your 

 primulas is that you are keeping them 

 too warm and not allowing them enough 

 fresh air. They do best when grown in 

 a night temperature of 50 degrees, with 

 an increase of from fi to 8 degrees on 

 cloudy d;iys. On bright days, with 

 ventilation, they can be allowed 60 to 

 64 degrees. Primroses also require 

 plenty of light and careful watering at 

 all times. M. P. 



SWAINSONA CULTURE. 



Will ycm tell me how to treat swain- 

 sonas an<l what kind of soil to use? 

 Should thrv be cut back at all? 



G. W. D.— N. Y. 



Swainsonas will grow in any compost 

 which suits chrysanthemums, geraniums, 

 carnations and roses. They can be 

 grown in pots or boxes, or planted out. 

 They are of easy culture and grow well 

 in any ordinary greenhouse. If desired, 

 treat them as climbers and tie them to 

 posts or wires in the roof. Plants are 

 better cut back in summer if they have 

 made too much growth. It is perhaps 

 not generally known that swainsonas 

 make desirable bedding plants, especial- 

 Iv near the seasliore. C. W. 



KEEP DAHLIA CLUMPS DRY. 



Please inform me how to prevent the 

 •Irying out of dahlia tubers after cutting 

 up the clumps. I have 4,400 field clumps 

 to cut up for retail trade and must be- 

 gin in Februarj', since I am doing the 

 work alone. Should the separated tubers 

 be laid in slightly dampened sphagnum 

 until mailed in April? How can I keep 

 the moss continually damp? The tubers 

 now weigh over three tons and the prob- 

 lem bothers me because I am short of 

 help. C. B.— Pa. 



Dahlia tubers should be dug care- 

 fully, so that the neck is not broken. 

 After removing the clump, they should 

 be shaken gently to remove the soil 



tlwtfwould naturally fall off and then 

 exposed to the sun to dry, but only for 

 an hour or two. 



Do not pack the clumps in any sub- 

 stance. They should be stored in a 

 cool, even - temperatured, frost - proof 

 room and packed in dry boxes or barrels. 

 Damp sawdust or moss or any similar 

 substance would only cause them to de- 

 cay. Great care should be taken to 

 pack the tubers with the stock pointing 

 down, for the stock contains 'a substance 

 which, if allowed to flow to the crown 

 of the clump, will cause decay. They 



should be packed one on top of the 

 other. |it ■ 



An old-fashioned cellar is the best for 

 storing, but if there is some heat in the 

 storeroom the boxes or barrels should 

 be lined with paper and covered with 

 burlap to keep a more even temperature. 



Port Arthur, Tex. — Brooks & Hopper 

 have launched themselves in the retail 

 busiuess as the only flower shop in Port 

 Arthur, and, as beginners, consider 

 themselves doing well. They trade as 

 the Floral Shop, 542 Proctor street. 



NEW YORK NOTES 



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Shortsville, N. Y. — Runyan & Run- 

 van have taken over the range owned 

 "by Walter L. Wright. 



Buffalo, N. Y. — John F. Malone, com- 

 missioner of the city parks, has placed 

 an order for 50,150 Dutch bulbs. The 

 bulbs will be planted in pots and bedded 

 in the parks in the spring. 



Schenectady, N. Y. — According to 

 John W. H. Grupe, 1536 Broadway, 

 Christmas business was exceptionally 

 brisk. A forty per cent increase over 

 last year's business is his report. 



Albany, N. Y. — A greenhouse, 13 %x 

 117 feet, has just been completed by L. 

 Menand to replace the wooden-frame 

 structure built thirty years ago. He ex- 

 pects to use the new house as a show- 

 room also. 



Poughkeepsie, N. Y. — ' * We had a fine 

 Yuletide business and cleaned up on all 

 greens for decorations, as well as on all 

 appropriate potted plants," states Con- 

 rad C. Gindra, 635 Main street. "The 

 florists here usually have a brisk spring 

 trade and we are preparing for it." 



Schenectady, N. Y. — Thomas W. Cor- 

 nell, 1422 Albany street, reports good 

 business during the last season. He 

 looks for a large sale of plants and cut 

 flowers the coming season. The facil- 

 ities for growing plants will be in- 

 creased. "Everything raised but the 

 price," is the way he expresses it. * 



Utica, N. Y.— Edward Whitton had a 

 fine sale of seasonable plants this year 

 and completely sold out on Primula oh- 

 conica, P. chinensis and cyclamens. He 

 contemplates potting 50,000 geraniums 

 this week. The stock consists chiefly of 

 Poitevine and Ricard. He also has a 

 large stock of cinerarias cnniing on for 

 Easter. 



Elmira, N. Y. — The Rosery Gardeu 

 Shop has clostMl a most successful year, 

 with a rally during the holiday season, 

 according to Jay N. Parker, the pro- 

 prietor. Mr. Parker states, "We had a 

 plentiful stoct of ..il that was needed 

 to meet our demand during the holiday 

 rush. The quality of stock was good 

 and the demand fairly heavy. At any 

 rate, we were able to clean up. We are 

 planning extensive additional plantings 

 at our flower farm on Lower Maple 

 avenue." Mr. Parker believes that busi- 

 ness will be good during the coming 

 months. 



Rhinebeck, N. Y. — Robert Traver is 

 now in the violet business for himself. 

 He was formerly a grower on private 

 estates. 



Poughkeepsie, N. Y. — "In regard to 

 Christmas business, will say that it was 

 exceptionally good," reports Fred M. 

 White. 



Painted Post, N. Y.— A. J. Searl, for- 

 merly in business at Elkland, Pa., is con- 

 templating a venture in the business 

 again in this city. At the present time 

 he is scanning the market for desirable 

 stock. 



Syracuse, N. Y. — "The best we have 

 done since we have been in business," 

 is the way Stein Bros, report the suc- 

 cess of Christmas trade. All florists in 

 the city are elated over the volume of 

 business and the spring possibilities are 

 great. 



Troy, N. Y.— George B. Cundiff, 17 

 Mechanic street, enjoyed a good holiday 

 season trade, particularly in potted 

 plants. He contemplates erecting an ad- 

 ditional greenhouse in the spring, be- 

 cause of increased business. The out- 

 look for spring is exceptionally bright, 

 in his opinion. 



Ssrracuse, N. Y.— "While we had a 

 fair holiday trade, the spirit was not 

 with us," says Henry Marris, 216 East 

 Fayette street. "We did not overload, 

 and therefore everything sold quickly. 

 The prices were too high, but business 

 was good. Christmas eve an unusually 

 quiet period just prior to the holiday 

 was spent. We are optimistic in regard 

 to the business possibilities for the com- 

 ing season, but it largely depends on the 

 number of men unemployed." 



Elmira, N. Y.— Although the weather 

 for the last two months has not been so 

 bright as normally at this season, stock 

 was in good supply and moved well for 

 Christmas, reported A. P. Hoffman, of 

 Clinton & Hoffman. Carnations and 

 roses showed the effects of the dull 

 weather more markedly than other flow- 

 ers, the result being a limited supply. 

 Among the plants for the trade at this 

 period were Cleveland cherries, primu- 

 las, begonias, poinsettias and cyclamens. 

 The cherries took the lead in popularity. 

 Ferns were not so popular this year as 

 last The flowering and berried plants 

 made up for the deficiency in cut flowers, 

 so that all florists reported a good busi- 

 ness, almost equal to that of former 

 vears. 



