July 21. 1921 



The Florists' Review 



23 



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SEED FABMS AT EL MONTE. 



Stocks Make Great Show. 



The total holdings of the John Bodger 

 & Sons Co. comprise about 1,000 acres 

 and, at certain times of the year, there 

 is something of interest to be seen on 

 all of them, but the present notes refer 

 to the company's 350-acre farm at El 

 Monte, a few miles out of Los Angeles. 

 An invitation from John Bodger, Jr., 

 to "come out and see the stocks," was 

 not to be lightly turned down, but, as 

 will be noted, there are many other at- 

 tractions besides stocks to be seen. How- 

 ever, there are twenty-five acres of these 

 in full bloom and in every conceivable 

 color, a sight well worth a long trip. 



It should be mentioned at the start 

 that, although visitors are always wel- 

 comed and shown around by one of the 

 Bodger family, still this firm does not 

 and will not sell seeds to consumers. It 

 is a strictly wholesale business and all 

 seeds are sent out to seedsmen only. 

 The firm is engaged in seed growing en- 

 tirely. 



Coming back to the stocks, no plant- 

 ing that does not show eighty-five per 

 cent of double flowers is allowed to seed, 

 but is plowed up. This is an expensive 

 procedure, but necessary to maintain the 

 high standard set. 



Leading Tints. 



One of the first varieties noted was 

 Illustrious, a deep rose or carmine-tinted 

 novelty that should make a splendid 

 florists' flower. The habit is good, erect 

 without stiffness, and the individual 



The exhibition features being prepared 

 for the convention of the California As- 

 sociation of Nurserymen are expected to 

 draw many trade visitors to Los Angeles 

 October 20 to S3. A 7-acrc Harden of 

 growing exhibits, an armory full of in- 

 door displays and a choice exhibition of 

 fruits are some of the attractions. Ad- 

 ditional interest will be found by trade 

 visitors in a number of establishments in 

 the vicinity which occupy a prominent 

 place in our industry. Some of these are 

 described in current issues of The Re- 

 view, one of them on this page. 



blooms are large, double and keep their 

 color well. Even when they begin to 

 fade, there is a kind of silvery tint that 

 is by no means unattractive. Old Rose 

 is another beautiful shade and of similar 

 characteristics. So thoroughly are the 

 beds rogued that not a shade of any 

 other color can be seen, even in the 

 single, or seed-bearing plants, which are 

 most likely to vary. So even are the 

 plants that it looks as though little 

 roguing had been necessary. A delicate 

 and beautiful pink is Empress Eliza- 

 beth, while for a strong contrast "White 

 Lady and Sapphire, a deep violet, may 

 be noted, the latter being taller than 

 the two former. These would make ex- 

 cellent bedding varieties. 



Another lovely form is La France, or 

 Almond Blossom, almost white with a 

 faint almond blossom tint. Dresden Car- 

 mine and Bismarck Rose are well de- 

 scribed in the names, while Nice Crim- 

 son is a beauty indeed, but slightly later 

 than the other varieties. Empress in 



deep lilac and silvery lilac is also a 

 splendid florists' variety. Hardly less 

 vjiriable in color are the ten weeks va- 

 rieties and' here again the remarkable 

 ])ercentage of double flowers is seen. 

 The white, in particular, is a magnificent 

 variety. This doubling, in the hands of 

 experts like the Bodgers, is rapidly be- 

 coming an exact science and practically 

 any percentage of doubles can be ar- 

 ranged for. But, as noted, eighty-five 

 per cent is about what is aimed at as 

 a fair crop without endangering the 

 crop as an asset to the florists' business. 



Rare Sights. 



Almost everyone knows Dimorpho- 

 theca aurantiaca or Roosevelt 's daisy, 

 but not everyone has seen an acre of 

 it in full bloom, a great orange-colored 

 sheet that can be seen a mile away. 

 This is one of the sights that can be 

 seen here. Another is a similar patch 

 of Nemesia Blue Gem, a distinct break 

 from the many-colored hybrids that may 

 also be seen here. Another showy blue 

 subject is the annual anchusa, in full 

 bloom now from spring sowing. Cuphea 

 miniata is a quaint and beautiful va- 

 riety of the cigar plant, quite distinct 

 from anything else in the family. 



A splendid mignonette, grown largely 

 for the British trade, is Red Goliath. 

 It is extra dwarf, with immense heads 

 of a distinctly red shade, and would be 

 an excellent pot variety. This variety 

 seeds sparingly, as does White Goliath, 

 a white prototype. Acrocliniums and 

 rhodanthes are grown in large blocks 

 and a large-flowering selection of the 

 former is away beyond anything seen 



This Field of Rose Stocks Shows Typical Stand at £1 Monte Seed Farm. 



