May l-'. I'.t21 



The Florists^ Review 



29 



Looking Through the Section at Howard & Smith's Greenhouses Where 15,000 Cinerarias Are Grown for Seed. 



was referred to a committee for con- 

 sideration and report. 



Exhibits. 



Anthurium Sergt. Manda, shown by.« 

 the Joseph Manda Co., West Orange, 

 N. J., was awarded a silver medal. 



A collection of cut orchids, shown by 

 James Goodier, superintendent for F. E. 

 Dixon, Elkins Park, Pa., was awarded a 

 silver medal. 



A new orchid, Lajliocattleya Helena 

 Dixon, parentage Lajliocattleya C. G. 

 Roebling x Cattleya Gaskelliana alba, 

 shown l)y James Goodier, was awarded 

 a silver medal. 



A collection of orchid plants, hybrids, 

 shown by S. G. Milosy, gardenor for 

 George Schlegel, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, 

 N. Y., was awarded a silver medal. 



Vases of Antirrhinum Orlando and 

 Didisous cu'rulea (blue lace flower), 

 shown by Roman J. Irwin, New York, 

 were awarded a vote of thanks. 



J. n. P. 



better than words can Ihe excellence 

 of the strain. In all, 15,000 are grown, 

 for it is a well known fact that these 

 extra choice flowers do not produce st) 

 nia^jy seeds per flower or per plant as 

 the smaller and commoner ljfci)es. For 



their accommodation this 



8,000 



SOME SUCCESSFUL STRAINS. 



New Race of Cinerarias. 



It is a pleasure to chronicle a real ad- 

 vance in anything pertaining to florists' 

 flowers and the cinerarias shown in the 

 illustration on this page are much in 

 advance of those usually seen. Right at 

 the start, it should be mentioned that 

 this is no aggregation of other types, no 

 mixture of other strains, but a straight 

 new race of cinerarias, the fruit of ten 

 years' work. For that is the length of 

 tim-p that Fred 11. Howard, the president 

 of Howard & Smith, Los Angeles, Cal., 

 lias given his close personal attention 

 to the improvement of florists' flower 

 seeds, and the cineraria was one of the 

 earliest plants to receive this attention. 



The writer has already referred to 

 these plants, but the illustration shows 



feet of new greenhouse space was 

 erected and the sight of these magnifi- 

 cent plants, when in full bloom, was 

 worth a long journey to enjoy. The in- 

 dividual plants were up to three feet 

 across and averaged from eighteen 

 inches to two feet in height froni the 

 top of the pot. Some of the plants had 

 flowers which were four and a half 

 inches across, wore broad-petaled, of 

 great substance and of every color and 

 shade known to the cineraria. Constant 

 roguing has led to the retention of the 

 most acceptable shades, and the unpleas- 

 ing tints, such as some of tiic magentas, 

 have been entirely eliminated. The 

 strain is particularly well balanced, as 

 there is no preponderance of any par- 

 ticular shade or tint. While looking 

 them over, one comes acros.s, say, a blue 

 that appears to be the finest imaginable, 

 but, upon moving away a few yards, a 

 ileep crimson conies into view and alters 

 the first opinion and makes a selei'tion 

 of the best color imi>ossible. 



Ninety Days' Display. 



The display in the houses here has 

 been maintained for three months — 

 ninety days of an exhibition that coiiM 

 hardly be surpassed with any other flo- 

 rists' flower. While, of course, the 

 method of culture practiced here tends 

 to large plants and fine display, yet it 

 is a fact tliat, even in the smaller plants 

 grown for market purposes, the Howard 

 & Smith strain is easily recognized by 

 the clear tints, the large petals, the size 

 of individual blooms and the perfect 

 habit of the plants. Needless to say. 



Mr. Howard is enthusiastic over his suc- 

 cess with this plant. 



At Rivera Seed Grounds. 



A few miles from the Montebello 

 nurseries, where the cinerarias are 

 grown, are the seed growing grounds of 

 the firm. Many acres are devoted to the 

 production of seed of the various spe- 

 cialties. To the eastern seed grower, 

 early May would not seem to be a time 

 for seed harvesting, but in California it 

 13 different. The aquilegia, as usually 

 .niown, is not a plant to excite much 

 • •iithusiasm. It is pretty and attractive, 

 but it is not commercially valuable as 

 a cut flower. Here the columbine hy- 

 brids are wonderful. Thev have just 

 passed their full beauty, aiid seed pods 

 are developing. The plants are from 

 three to four feet high and so full of 

 bloom that they make a great display 

 and the individual stems are fine for 

 basket work. This strain is the result 

 of crossing the Aquilegia cserulea with 

 the long-spurred A. chrysantha and 

 every shade of color is represented. The 

 principal colors are the j-ink and blue 

 shades, each ranging from nearly white 

 to the deepest tints. And here again a 

 wonderful progress is noted. The flow- 

 ers are immense, with long spurs deli- 

 cately poised on the long, wiry stems. 

 (/lie can hardly imagine a more perfect 

 fU)wcr for the basket trade, which is 

 uhw so popular. The number of flowers 

 that can be secured from a few easily 

 grown plants is remarkable. 



The excellent strains of Orange King 

 calendula which are grown here are 

 frequently commented upon. The large 

 breadths grown to seed plants are just 

 going over and seed gathering has be- 

 gun. Here again, truth to type, fine 

 habit anil wonderful coloring are noted; 

 every flower is perfectly double and all 

 sterna are stiff and erect. The single pe- 



