18 



The Florists^ Review 



JcNi 30, 1921 



house is visited and the same fine 

 growth, abundant shoots and robust 

 health are visible in all. Solid beds on 

 the ground level are used, no tiling or 

 other drainage as yet having been 

 found necessary, though, should it be- 

 come so, an outfall ditch has been pro- 

 vided at the south end of the range and 

 into this the land will be drained. 

 There seems no necessity for this, how- 

 ever, judging by the uniformly fine aj)- 

 pearance of the plants. A special house 

 is given up to propagating roses and 

 growing valley, the pips being inserted 

 in batches every four days, thus insur- 

 ing a constant supply for the shipping 

 and wholesale business at 321 East 

 Fourth street, Los Angeles. 



Of the thirty-two and one-half acres 

 comprised in the range, fifteen acres are 

 devoted to Asparagus plumosus under 

 lath and, with this big area, there is 

 still no surplus, though every foot is 

 productive. All the regular shipments 

 of greens are made direct from Saw- 

 telle, thus saving the trip to Los An- 

 geles. Doubtless this accounts for the 

 fresh condition in which the greens ar- 

 rive, even at such far-off points as 

 Minnesota. Every bunch is wrapped 

 separately in paper for the longest 

 journeys, also for those sections where 

 long desert trips intervene. The stock 

 is shipped all summer long to Oklahoma, 

 Texas, New Mexico and nearer states 

 to the east; also, to Oregon, Washing- 

 ton and other northern states. The ad- 

 vantage of packing and shipping direct 



from the growing quarters can hardly 

 be overestimated. 



Packing Standaxdized. 



While. on the subject of packing, it 

 may be noted that all plants are shipped 

 direct from Sawtelle and the system 

 here is the best possible. Around the 

 walls of a 60x60-foot sawmill are racks 

 iu which a supply of every piece of 

 lumber needed to make any packing 

 case is stored, and a stenciled sign 

 shows at a glance which piece is in 

 any rack. A number of shipping cases 

 are always on hand, ready made up and 

 marked for capacity. Thus a case to 

 take a dozen 5-inch pots is marked 12.5 

 P., another to take plants out of pots 

 will be marked with the number and 

 0. P., while still others are marked for 

 wrapped plants packed erect. The sides 

 of the cases for 5-inch pots or other sizes 

 are exactly high enough so that they 

 may be cleated at the top, thus saving a 

 great amount of labor. Everything, in 

 short, is standardized, so that, at a 

 busy time, when experienced help is 

 short, the cases are practically fool- 

 proof, and green hands of ordinary in- 

 telligence can hardly make a mistake. 

 The roof of this building is truss-sup- 

 ported, so that there are no posts in the 

 way. This facilitates the handling of 

 lumber in all lengths to the saws and 

 other machines. Mill-run lumber is 

 bought and resawed on the place. 



What will eventually be the principal 

 plant-packing shed is now used as a 



Walter Armacost. 



paint shop, and the material for the 

 nine new houses is being painted, s; sh- 

 bars, gutters, ventilators and all W(; kJ. 

 work being given two good coats beJure 

 erection. Additions to this shed arc in 

 contemplation and, when they are c m- 

 plete, the plants will be trucked dii ct 

 from the greenhouses to the pack ig 

 shed, orders assembled and at o; ce 

 placed in the service trucks for de- 

 livery, at a great saving of time a id 

 labor. 



A Big Plant Business. 



Some idea of the size of the pl.'i it 

 business here may be gathered from t e 

 fact that in Erica melanthera alo e 

 there are 50,000 pot plants for tl is 

 year's sales, and another 50,000 comii ^ 

 on for next year, a total in pots f 

 100,000, mostly 4-inch and 5-inch. Th n 

 of cyclamens 115,000 are grown, 75,0i 

 for sale in shipping sizes, mostly 3-inc i, 

 the other 35,000 to be finished av.i\ 

 shipped in bloom. Hydrangeas, prim ,- 

 las, cinerarias, coleus and many others 

 are grown, in smaller numbers, it is 

 true, but still in large quantities. The 

 ericas for this year's sales are already 

 potted and established, so there is no 

 fear of their not holding up when 

 shipped, a common fault when these 

 capillary-rooted plants are disturbed at 

 or near the blooming period. They are 

 a splendid, even lot, well worthy of a 

 long journey to see. Eeturning to the 

 cyclamens, it was noted that the 3-inch 

 stock, now being shipped out for grow- 

 ing on, was all stood at a good distance 

 apart and the plants are of wonderfully 

 good appearance, leafy, dwarf and ex- 

 tra full. Mr. Armacost said, "Any of 

 these that are not sold will remain here 

 and be finished." So it is necessary to 

 keep them in good cultural shape, both 

 to give satisfaction to purchasers of 

 young stock and to guard against loss 

 in the event of their not being sold at 

 this stage. 



The Orchid Houses. 



Among other interesting features are 

 the orchid houses, where cattleyas, 

 phalaenopsis and others are grown for 

 cutting. The orchid grower here is 

 preparing to go in for seedling raising, 

 and is on the lookout for good varieties 

 for crossing. A number of Phalaenopsis 

 grandiflora and amabilis were making 

 a fine show, C. gigas being also in 

 bloom. Seedling fern raising is going 

 on and thousands of young plumosus are 

 just breaking through their covering of 

 humus, of which material Mr. Arma- 

 cost uses large quantities. Outside sev- 

 eral acres of American Beauty asters 

 look promising and more are being 

 planted. An interesting feature, too, 

 is the growing of lily bulbs, both from 

 the "flakes" and also from seed. This 

 has not progressed far enough to be 

 determinate, but the hundreds of tiny 

 plants look promising in the extreme. 



Fine Equipment. 



These notes are more or less rambling, 

 but no notice of the place would be 

 complete without a mention of the im- 

 mense new reservoirs for liquid manure 

 and water. In order to save as much 

 rain water as possible, the house gutters 

 are connected with sewer pipes to the 

 main water conduit, into which the 

 water is pumped and runs by gravity to 

 a great cement reservoir. By the side 

 of this is a leaching floor for manure, 

 which is hauled in and water turned on 

 it, the drainings being led to another 

 cement reservoir, which can hold enough 



